LUMPEN Synonyms: 44 Similar and Opposite Words

lumpen

adjective

ˈlu̇m-pən

Definition of lumpen

as in low

belonging to the class of people of low social or economic rank a kind of music that has traditionally appealed to the lumpen segment of the musical audience

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 lumpen But the earlier dolls were crude, lumpen things, a cross between a beanbag and a sculpted potato. — Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026 Yet Empire Falls translates into a lumpen, stodgy miniseries, despite a fine central performance from Harris as a divorced diner owner with deep roots in the town and a structure that allows the past to keep informing and enriching the present. — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 14 Apr. 2024 Then the judges booted her for wearing a lumpen quilt skirt accessorized with a blow-up-doll boyfriend. — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 20 Apr. 2022 Tye Sheridan gives a somewhat lumpen performance as the author’s stand-in, an aspiring writer whose family background is funky, to say the least. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Jan. 2022 The films of Sean Baker celebrate lumpen characters and communities that subsist within the cracks of America’s neoliberal landscape. — Erik Morse, Vogue, 10 Dec. 2021 Indeed, the miniatures — lumpen clay armchairs and occasional tables that Valle arranges and rearranges inside shoebox versions of their ultimate destinations — are closer to dollhouse furniture than to showpiece renderings. — New York Times, 9 Sep. 2021 Some collectors are leaning further into technology by amassing digital artworks, while other sets of buyers are coping by prizing ceramics, with their fragile, lumpen tactility. — Kelly Crow, WSJ, 6 July 2021

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lumpen

Adjective

Democratic primary voters picked their nominees on Tuesday for three battleground House seats in Virginia that are likely to determine control of the lower chamber in the 2026 midterm elections.

— Sophia Mandt, The Washington Examiner, 5 Aug. 2026
This fuss-free pair has it all—plenty of color choices, comfy low heels, and a sleek, versatile design that will easily match any outfit, especially mini skirts and dresses.

— Isabel Bekele, InStyle, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of low

Adjective

But West Virginia is a proletarian locale that until not long ago was a Democratic stronghold.

— Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
These ranged from the aristocratic elite who dominated the military and bureaucracy and yearned for a return to monarchy, to communists who sought proletarian rule, to the National Socialists who wanted to establish a right-wing dictatorship.

— Time, Time, 23 Oct. 2025

Definition of proletarian

Adjective

Homewood Suites Charlotte Uptown The restaurant received 86% on June 30, with violations including employees in need of food safety training and unwashed hands.

— Eva Flowe July 25, Charlotte Observer, 25 July 2026
Left unwashed, a swimsuit becomes a breeding ground for fungus and bacteria.

— Angela Haupt, Time, 20 July 2026

Definition of unwashed

Adjective

Linen and cotton, cooling garments, were too plebeian; the people posed nobly for street-style social-media accounts in leather jackets and low-slung jorts.

— Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 27 June 2026
This one is about a regular old guy, a hedge knight in the plebeian population of Westeros, just trying to get by in a world that isn't kind to the common and poor.

— Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 13 Jan. 2026

Definition of plebeian

Adjective

But new research is shedding light on what life was like for middle- and lower-class residents.

— Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
The franchise centers around a dystopian nation called Panem, where rich and authoritarian leaders force twelve lower-class districts to submit two children to fight in a deadly, and televised, battle every year.

— Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE, 11 July 2026

Definition of lower-class

Adjective

Whether topped with butter and jam, layered with peanut butter, crowned with avocado and eggs or transformed into a hearty breakfast sandwich, this humble bread has become a staple in kitchens across the country.

— Daryl Austin, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2026
Adjusting to life surrounded by huge events Road closures, heavy congestion, competition for parking and big noises can stalk any humble Inglewood resident these days.

— Shi Bradley, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of humble

Adjective

Lonnie is loud, obnoxious, and vulgar in ways that rankle traditional golfers.

— Ben Travers, IndieWire, 16 July 2026
Suki, a vocal Black woman with an at times vulgar persona, whereas Althoff, a white woman, gained a reputation as an awkward, seemingly timid interviewer on her The Really Good Podcast.

— Meagan Jordan, VIBE.com, 10 July 2026

Definition of vulgar

Browse Nearby Words

lumped (up)

lumpen

lumping

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Cite this Entry

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“Lumpen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lumpen. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of lumpen

adjective

Example Sentences

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