Standard Lemma guide

trample

noun · verb · 10 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈtɹæmpəl/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -æmpəl
  • CMU ARPABET: T R AE1 M P AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A heavy stepping.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The sound of heavy footsteps.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To crush something by walking on it.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • to trample grass or flowers

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To treat someone harshly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To walk heavily and destructively.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • June 9, 1960, Charles Dickens, All the Year Round [...] horses proud of the crimson and yellow shaving-brushes on their heads, and of the sharp tingling bells upon their harness that chime far along the glaring white road along which they trample [...]

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To cause emotional injury as if by trampling.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

the sound of heavy treading or stomping

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he heard the trample of many feet

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: trampling

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: sound

8

verb

Meaning 8

injure by trampling or as if by trampling

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The passerby was trampled by an elephant

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: injure, wound

9

verb

Meaning 9

walk on and flatten

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • tramp down the grass
  • trample the flowers

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: tramp down, tread down

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: walk

10

verb

Meaning 10

tread or stomp heavily or roughly

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The soldiers trampled across the fields

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: tread

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: walk

Narrower terms: treadle

History

Etymology

From Middle English tramplen, trampelen (“to walk heavily”), equivalent to tramp + -le. Cognate with Saterland Frisian trampelje (“to trample”), Dutch trampelen (“to trample”), German Low German trampeln (“to trample”), German trampeln (“to trample”).

Across languages

Translations

99 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: трополене (tropolene) — the sound of heavy footsteps
  • Bulgarian: тежки стъпки (težki stǎpki) — the sound of heavy footsteps
  • Danish: trampen — the sound of heavy footsteps
  • German: Trampeln — the sound of heavy footsteps
  • Italian: calpestio — the sound of heavy footsteps
  • Spanish: pisoteada — the sound of heavy footsteps
  • Spanish: pisoteo — the sound of heavy footsteps
  • Albanian: shkel — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Amharic: ረጋገጠ (rägagäṭä) — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Arabic: دَعَسَ (daʕasa) — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Arabic: وَطِئَ (waṭiʔa) — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Armenian: տրորել (trorel) — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Armenian: կոխել (koxel) — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Azerbaijani: tapdalamaq — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Bashkir: тапау (tapaw) — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Bulgarian: стъпквам (stǎpkvam) — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Catalan: trepitjar — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Catalan: calcigar — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Chinese Cantonese: 踩 (caai2) — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Chinese Mandarin: 踐踏 /践踏 (jiàntà) — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Chinese Mandarin: 跴 (cǎi) — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Chinese Mandarin: 踩 (cǎi) — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Chinese Mandarin: 蹈 (dǎo) — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Danish: trampe — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Egyptian: p:t-p:t-A24 (ptpt) — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Finnish: talloa — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Finnish: tallata — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • French: fouler — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • French: piétiner — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Galician: trepar — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Georgian: გადათელავს (gadatelavs) — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • German: trampeln — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • German: zertrampeln — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • German: herumtrampeln — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Gothic: 𐌲𐌰𐍄𐍂𐌿𐌳𐌰𐌽 (gatrudan) — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Ancient Greek: καταπατέω (katapatéō) — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Ingrian: talloa — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Irish: dramhail — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Italian: calpestare — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Italian: pestare — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Japanese: 踏み荒らす (fumiarasu) — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Japanese: 踏みつける (fumitsukeru) — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Kabuverdianu: kalka — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Latin: calcō — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Lithuanian: trypti — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Lithuanian: sutrypti — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Manchu: ᡶᡝᡥᡠᠮᠪᡳ (fehumbi) — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Māori: hūkari — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Māori: takahi — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Māori: takatakahi — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Occitan: trepejar — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Occitan: caupir — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Occitan: pompir — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Occitan: sonsir — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Occitan: penejar — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Polish: rozdeptywać — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Portuguese: pisotear — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Russian: топта́ть (toptátʹ) — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Russian: растопта́ть (rastoptátʹ) — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Spanish: pisotear — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Spanish: hollar — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Spanish: apisonar — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Telugu: మట్టు (maṭṭu) — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Ottoman Turkish: چیكنهمك (çiğnemek) — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Ottoman Turkish: طبانلامق (tabanlamak) — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Ottoman Turkish: آیاقلامق (ayaklamak) — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Welsh: sengi — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Welsh: sangu — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Welsh: sathru — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Yiddish: צעטרעטן (tsetretn) — (transitive) to crush something by walking on it
  • Albanian: shkel — to treat someone harshly
  • German: herumtrampeln auf — to treat someone harshly
  • Italian: offendere — to treat someone harshly
  • Italian: urtare — to treat someone harshly
  • Italian: maltrattare — to treat someone harshly
  • Quechua: t'ustuy — to treat someone harshly
  • Spanish: pisotear — to treat someone harshly
  • Spanish: maltratar — to treat someone harshly
  • Spanish: humillar — to treat someone harshly
  • Bulgarian: газя (gazja) — (intransitive) to walk heavily and destructively
  • Bulgarian: стъпвам тежко (stǎpvam težko) — (intransitive) to walk heavily and destructively
  • Catalan: trepitjar — (intransitive) to walk heavily and destructively
  • Danish: trampe — (intransitive) to walk heavily and destructively
  • Galician: trepar — (intransitive) to walk heavily and destructively
  • German: trampeln — (intransitive) to walk heavily and destructively
  • Italian: calpestare — (intransitive) to walk heavily and destructively
  • Italian: pestare — (intransitive) to walk heavily and destructively
  • Russian: то́пать (tópatʹ) — (intransitive) to walk heavily and destructively
  • Russian: топта́ть (toptátʹ) — (intransitive) to walk heavily and destructively
  • Spanish: pisotear — (intransitive) to walk heavily and destructively
  • Spanish: patullar — (intransitive) to walk heavily and destructively
  • Spanish: apisonar — (intransitive) to walk heavily and destructively
  • Spanish: zapatear — (intransitive) to walk heavily and destructively
  • Danish: trampe — (intransitive) to cause emotional injury as if by trampling
  • German: trampeln — (intransitive) to cause emotional injury as if by trampling
  • Italian: offendere — (intransitive) to cause emotional injury as if by trampling
  • Italian: violare — (intransitive) to cause emotional injury as if by trampling
  • Spanish: ofender — (intransitive) to cause emotional injury as if by trampling
  • Spanish: humillar — (intransitive) to cause emotional injury as if by trampling