frump

English

Probably a contraction of late Middle English frumpylle (“wrinkle”), from Middle Dutch verrompelen, originally equivalent to for- +‎ rump +‎ -le.

frump (countable and uncountable, plural frumps)

(countable, colloquial) A frumpy person, somebody who is unattractive, drab or dowdy.
You look like such a frump today!
- 2022 March 31, Alexis Soloski, “Why the Sudden Urge to Reconsider Famous Women?”, in The New York Times‎^[1], →ISSN:
  If you flipped through certain magazines at this time you could be forgiven for thinking that there was no right way to be a woman, only wrong ones — bimbo or frump, slut or prude, shrew or doormat.
(uncountable, colloquial) Unattractive, dowdy clothes.
Get that frump off – it's horrid!
(countable, dated) A bad-tempered person.
(obsolete) A flout or snub.

somebody who is unattractive, drab or dowdy

clothes that such a person would wear

frump (third-person singular simple present frumps, present participle frumping, simple past and past participle frumped)

(obsolete, transitive) To insult; to flout; to mock; to snub.
- 1617, John Fletcher, “The Chances”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
  Was ever gentlewoman So frump'd off with a fool!
To assume a countenance or demeanor indicating irritation, ill-humor, or disapproval.
- 1982, Lou Sullivan, personal diary, quoted in 2019, Ellis Martin, Zach Ozma (editors), We Both Laughed In Pleasure
  I told the guy "Well, now all I can do is come up with excuses" & told him I had to babysit. He frumped like, "Oh, shame!" and asked if I'd be there later.

frump (plural frampès)

frump

Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828) William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, published 1867, page 40