Jump isn’t just something you do with your legs—it’s also used in loads of idioms that bring energy, surprise, and quick action to your language. From acting too soon to getting into trouble, these phrases with “jump” are full of meaning and perfect for sounding more natural in everyday conversation.
What does ‘jump’ mean?
The word ‘jump’ can mean many different things. As a verb, the meaning is to push oneself into the air.
For example:
- The cat jumped off the wall. (push oneself into the air)
Jump is a regular verb. The past tense and past participle is jumped.
idioms with jump list
Ready to jump into some common expressions? Here’s a list of popular idioms with the verb jump, all with simple meanings to help you use them naturally.
in for the high jump
meaning – likely to be punished
example – When I find out who slashed my tyres, they’ll be in for the high jump.
jump down someone’s throat
meaning – respond to someone with anger
example – Lisa jumped down my throat when I asked about her new job. Maybe she got fired!
jump for joy
meaning – jump up and down because you are very happy
example – I told my boyfriend I’m pregnant. Let’s just say he wasn’t jumping for joy.
jump in feet first
meaning – do something quickly without hesitating or panicking
example – Starting a new school is scary, jump in feet first and you’ll be fine.
jump in with both feet
meaning – start doing something enthusiastically
example – Louis is a great addition to the team; he jumped in with both feet.
jump off the page
meaning – an interesting/exciting/noticeable picture/piece of writing
example – My dad loves reading Playboy. He says the pictures jump off the page.
jump on the bandwagon
meaning – join a popular trend or activity
example – Everyone is jumping on the bandwagon and playing Pokémon Go.
jump out of one’s skin
meaning – something shocks/scares you very much
example – A huge spider ran across my leg. I nearly jumped out of my skin.
jump ship
meaning – leave an organisation and move to another
example – Did the CEO really jump ship or was he pushed?
jump the gun
meaning – do something before the appropriate time
example – I asked her to move in with me. I think I jumped the gun, we’ve only been dating for 2 months.
jump the lights
meaning – pass traffic lights when they’re not on green
example – Don’t jump the lights or you’ll get £45 fine.
jump the queue
meaning – push in front of people who were waiting before you
example – Don’t jump the queue. We’re British, we like queueing.
jump through hoops
meaning – complete many difficult challenges in order to achieve something
example – My friend has been jumping through hoops to get us tickets to Beyoncé.
jump to conclusions
meaning – make a decision before you have all the facts
examples – Hayley is always jumping to conclusions. She gets herself into so much trouble.
jump to it
meaning – start doing something quickly/enthusiastically
example – Get out of bed! Jump to it or you’ll be late for school.
Psst…
Hey, did you know the verb ‘jump’ has many phrasal verbs. Since you like idioms and phrases, you obviously want to improve your fluency and speak like a native.
Am I right?
I thought you might like to learn the phrasal verbs with ‘jump’ too. They are very common in informal English and great to know/be able to understand if you happen to be speaking to a native. We use them all the time, like literally ALL the time.