dumpy

adjective

ˈdəm-pē How to pronounce dumpy (audio)
Definition of dumpynext
1
as in stout
being compact and broad in build and often short in stature dumpy little toddlers growing into lanky children

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dilapidated
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect we could only find rooms at a dumpy motel on the outskirts of the city

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of dumpy The dumpy old Abe Stark Sports Center, the ice rink on the boardwalk between 19th and 20th Streets, is getting a major renovation as well. — Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 24 Sep. 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 The Slip concerns sixteen-year-old Nathaniel Rothstein, a dumpy sad sack who, after getting into a fight at school, is sent to live with his uncle in Austin for the summer of 1998. — Lucas Schaefer june 13, Literary Hub, 13 June 2025 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 See All Example Sentences for dumpy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dumpy
  1. stout
  2. dilapidated
  3. plump
  4. neglected
  5. stumpy
  6. stocky
  7. sturdy
  8. stubby
Adjective
  • Phillips has also been stout against the run and a vocal leader his teammates praise.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Tennessee relied on a stout defense and the steady play of quarterback George MacIntyre to win their third straight game.
    — Chantz Martin OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of stout
Adjective
  • Protests by high school students angry about dilapidated, understaffed schools have roiled France since mid-September.
    — JOHN LEICESTER, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The protests have been building since late September, sparked by complaints of staff shortages and dilapidated schools.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of dilapidated
Adjective
  • Interiors are simple—there’s just a huge double bed, a daybed, and plump floor cushions.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Readers rave about the flavorful combination of fresh apples, plump, juicy raisins, and cinnamon.
    — Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of plump
Adjective
  • Investors and analysts are increasingly looking to other parts of the market, both to find neglected sources of value and to start assuming a defensive posture against a possible downturn.
    — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 16 July 2026
  • Changing their environment is more reliable and more neglected.
    — Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
Definition of neglected
Adjective
  • This adorable costume looks poised to rule over The Masked Singer stage with a flick of her paw and a wag of her stumpy tail.
    — Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Jan. 2026
  • These members of the squash family produce fruits in all different shapes, sizes, and colors; there are huge ones, tiny ones, stumpy ones, tall ones, and even bumpy ones.
    — Viveka Neveln, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Nov. 2022
Definition of stumpy
Adjective
  • The fries are of the thick, stocky variety and require immediate consumption.
    — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Jos Weyers, a stocky man with glasses who is one of the group’s senior members, was dressed in all black.
    — Shayla Love, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of stocky
Adjective
  • Denim is a sturdy cotton textile that is woven in a twill pattern, creating a distinctive diagonal rib on the fabric’s surface.
    — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Carrying a large pump spray bottle and a small, sturdy brush, Caitlin Abrams stood before two starkly contrasting graves in a modest cemetery in western Vermont.
    — Kimberlee Kruesi, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of sturdy
Adjective
  • The tangle of stubby points stood out like overgrown thumbs, and the down-curving prongs on either side of his head were at least a foot long.
    — Al Dawson, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The dodo, with its waddling gait, its stubby wings, its goggly eyes, and its preposterous beak, has none of the power, grace, or charisma of those other animals—but that’s part of its charm.
    — Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of stubby

Browse Nearby Words

dumps on
dumpy
dun
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Cite this Entry

“Dumpy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dumpy. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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