1 A2 neutral
To leap suddenly from inside or behind something.
"He jumped out from behind the door and gave everyone a fright."
jump out
A2 neutral intransitive
To leap out of something or somewhere; figuratively, to be immediately noticeable or striking.
In plain English
To jump out of something, or to be so clear or interesting that you notice it right away.
What does "jump out" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 idiomatic neutral
To be immediately obvious or striking; to catch someone's attention at once.
"One spelling mistake jumped out at me as soon as I read the first paragraph."
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To leap out of a container or space — transparent.
Actually means
To jump out of something, or to be so clear or interesting that you notice it right away.
Usage tip
Both senses are very common. The figurative sense ('that error jumps out at me') is widely used in professional and academic contexts. Often followed by 'at' in the figurative sense: 'the figure jumped out at me'. Can also describe ambushing someone: 'he jumped out from behind the door'.
Words that pair with "jump out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
page screen crowd data error headline car bushes
How to conjugate "jump out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
jump out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
jumps out
he/she/it
Past simple
jumped out
yesterday
Past participle
jumped out
have + pp
-ing form
jumping out
continuous
Hear "jump out" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "jump out" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.