Bumpy means having an uneven surface with many raised parts, or moving roughly up and down instead of smoothly. A bumpy road is full of holes and rough patches that make your car bounce. A bumpy ride on an airplane happens when the plane hits pockets of turbulent air that jolt you around in your seat.

You can feel bumpy textures: tree bark is bumpy, a gravel driveway is bumpy, and even your tongue can feel the bumpy surface of a strawberry. The opposite of bumpy is smooth.

The word also describes experiences that don't go as planned. If you have a bumpy start to your school day (you miss the bus, forget your homework, and spill juice on your shirt), things aren't flowing easily. A scientist might have a bumpy path to an important discovery, facing many failures before finally succeeding.

When something feels bumpy, whether it's a physical surface or an experience, you're encountering obstacles or irregularities instead of sailing along effortlessly. That bumpy patch of sidewalk might make you stumble, and that bumpy week at school can make you feel off-balance.