frump
English edit
Etymology edit
Probably a contraction of late Middle English frumpylle (“wrinkle”), from Middle Dutch verrompelen, originally equivalent to for- + rump + -le.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
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.
Derived terms edit
Translations edit
somebody who is unattractive, drab or dowdy
Verb edit
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.
- 1982, Lou Sullivan, personal diary, quoted in 2019, Ellis Martin, Zach Ozma (editors), We Both Laughed In Pleasure
Derived terms edit
Yola edit
Etymology edit
From Middle English frumpylle.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
frump (plural frampès)
- A sour ill-humored person.
Verb edit
frump
Related terms edit
References edit
- 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