dumpy

1 of 2

adjective

ˈdəm-pē How to pronounce dumpy (audio)
dumpier; dumpiest
Synonyms of dumpynext
1
: being short and thick in build : squat
2
: shabby, dingy
dumpily
ˈdəm-pə-lē How to pronounce dumpy (audio)
adverb
dumpiness
ˈdəm-pē-nəs How to pronounce dumpy (audio)
noun

dumpiness

2 of 2

noun

dump·​i·​ness ˈdəmpēnə̇s How to pronounce dumpiness (audio)
-pin-
plural -es
: the quality or state of being dumpy

Synonyms of dumpy

Relevance

Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of dumpy in a Sentence

Adjective a dumpy guy in his forties dumpy little toddlers growing into lanky children
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Newsrooms are closing even faster, as downsized staffs take refuge at smaller, dumpier dumps. — Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 29 Nov. 2025 And this is in a nice, pretty on-campus facility, not the old, dumpy Astrodome (although the Astrodome is still up, which is another story). — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Jan. 2026 At the start of the production, when Blanche arrives at her sister’s dumpy apartment, a lithe young man (Jabez Sykes) contorts himself in abstract choreography. — Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2025 Torry’s candidly dumpy, dingy, dated, wood panel lined courtroom allowed for the placement of contemporary art and the banging of nails into walls which would have been forbidden in one of the ornate ground floor courtrooms. — Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for dumpy

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

English dialect dump lump

First Known Use

Adjective

1750, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dumpy was in 1750

Phrases Containing dumpy

Rhymes for dumpy

See All Rhymes for dumpy

Browse Nearby Words

dump wagon
dumpy
dumpy level
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dumpy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dumpy. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

dumpy

adjective
ˈdəm-pē How to pronounce dumpy (audio)
dumpier; dumpiest
1
: short and thick in build : squat
2
: shabby sense 2b
dumpiness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on dumpy

Nglish: Translation of dumpy for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All