frumpy

WOTD – 12 March 2009    

English

Etymology

Either frump or Middle English frumple +‎ -y.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈfɹʌm.pɪ/
• (US) IPA: /ˈfɹʌm.pi/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adjective

frumpy (comparative frumpier, superlative frumpiest)

1. Dowdy, unkempt, or unfashionable.

   She came to the door in a frumpy housedress and bedroom slippers.

2. (dated) Ill- or bad-tempered.

Related terms

• frump
• frumpily
• frumpiness

Translations

dowdy, unfashionable

• Finnish: tyylitön (fi)
• French: démodé (fr)
• German: ohne jeden Schick (de)

• Portuguese: antiquado (pt), ultrapassado (pt), "démodé (pt)"
• Russian: безвкусный (ru) (bezvkúsnyj), немодный (ru) (nemódnyj)
• Serbo-Croatian: neukusno (sh), demodirano (sh), staromodno (sh)