chumpier

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: chŭmʹpiər, IPA^(key): /ˈtʃʌmpi.ə/
• (US) enPR: chŭmʹpiər, IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃʌmpiɚ/

Adjective

chumpier

1. comparative form of chumpy: more chumpy
   • 1908, Iowa Reformatory at Anamosa, The Reformatory Press‎^[1], volume 11, page 6139:

     “Pretty smart chap, that,” muttered the Wise Man as he sauntered off.
     “Positive, chump; comparative chumpier; superlative, chumpiest: that’s my definition of him,” concluded the Fool as he resumed his favorite pastime, that of making faces at the cigar dealer’s wooden Indian.

   • 1976, Evelyn L. Silvernail, The New Complete Fox Terrier (Smooth and Wire), 3rd edition, Howell Book House, →ISBN, page 15, →ISBN:

     The former was an elegant gentleman, not far removed from the present-day type; but the latter obviously bore the ‘bull’ quarterings on his escutcheon, for he was a decidedly cobby little dog, broad chest and a shorter, chumpier head…

   • 2007, Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson, Mistakes Were Made (but not by me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts (1st edition, Harcourt Books, →ISBN, page 252, endnote 3:13:

     Anne E. Wilson and Michael Ross have shown how the self-justifying biases of memory help us move psychologically, in their words, from “chump to champ.” We distance ourselves from our earlier “chumpier” incarnations if doing so allows us to feel better about how much we have grown, learned, and matured, but, like Haber, we feel close to earlier selves we thought were champs. Either way, we can’t lose.