1 B2 idiomatic neutral
To treat different people or things as belonging to the same category, often ignoring important distinctions.
"You can't just lump all teenagers together and say they're all irresponsible."
separable
lump together
B2 neutral separable transitive
To treat or categorize different people or things as a single group, usually ignoring their individual differences.
In plain English
To put very different things or people into one group as if they are all the same, even when they are not.
What does "lump together" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 neutral
To combine different items, costs, or figures into a single total or category for practical purposes.
"The accountant lumped all the travel expenses together in one line item."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
'Lump' suggests a shapeless, undifferentiated mass; 'together' reinforces the combining. The idiomatic sense of unfair grouping extends naturally from this.
Actually means
To put very different things or people into one group as if they are all the same, even when they are not.
Usage tip
Often carries a negative connotation, suggesting oversimplification or unfairness. Commonly used in academic, journalistic, and everyday speech when criticizing generalizations. Can be used neutrally in administrative contexts (e.g., lumping costs together for a budget).
Words that pair with "lump together"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
categories costs groups people issues expenses
How to conjugate "lump together"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
lump together
I/you/we/they
3rd person
lumps together
he/she/it
Past simple
lumped together
yesterday
Past participle
lumped together
have + pp
-ing form
lumping together
continuous
Hear "lump together" in the wild
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