bump and happen share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. bump means “knock against with force or violence”. happen means “come to pass”. happen is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈbʌmp/
1.v.knock against with force or violence
“My car bumped into the tree”
2.v.come upon, as if by accident; meet with
“We find this idea in Plato”
3.v.dance erotically or dance with the pelvis thrust forward
“bump and grind”
/ˈhæpən/
1.v.come to pass
“What is happening?”
2.v.happen, occur, or be the case in the course of events or by chance
“It happens that today is my birthday”
3.v.chance to be or do something, without intention or causation
“I happen to have just what you need!”
| bump | happen | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈbʌmp/ | /ˈhæpən/ |
| Said | buhmp | HAP-uhn |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Letters | 4 | 6 |
| Parts of speech | verb, noun | verb |
| Senses | 8 | 5 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | knock | hap, go on, pass off |
Full entry for bump · Full entry for happen · More comparisons