dumpy
/'dʌmpi/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Short and plump; squat: Describes a person, animal, or object that is short, broad, and often solidly or heavily built.
- Resembling a dump; shabby or unattractive: Describes something that is messy, disorderly, or of poor appearance, like a garbage dump.
Examples of Usage
- Describing a person's build:
- Describing an object's shape:
- Describing unattractive appearance:
Advanced Usage
- "dumpy-looking": Having an unattractive, squat appearance.
- In a technical or descriptive context (e.g., zoology, architecture), "dumpy" can be a neutral descriptor for a specific, compact form.
Variants and Related Words
- Dumpiness (noun): The quality or state of being dumpy.
- Dump (noun/verb): The source of the metaphorical meaning; a site for depositing waste or the act of discarding something carelessly.
Synonyms
- Squat: Short and thick.
- Stubby: Short and thick.
- Chunky: Short and solidly built.
- Podgy: Slightly fat in a soft way.
- Dowdy: (For the 'shabby' sense) unfashionable and dull in appearance.
Antonyms
- Svelte: Slender and elegant.
- Lanky: Tall, thin, and often ungraceful.
- Statuesque: Attractively tall and dignified.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- "Dumpy as a dumpling": A simile emphasizing a round, plump shape.
- While not a phrasal verb, the adjective can combine informally, e.g., "dumpy old" to emphasize age and shabbiness together.
Adjective
- short and plump
- short and thick; as e.g. having short legs and heavy musculature
- some people seem born to be square and chunky
- a dumpy little dumpling of a woman
- dachshunds are long lowset dogs with drooping ears
- a little church with a squat tower
- a squatty red smokestack
- a stumpy ungainly figure
- resembling a garbage dump