frumpy

adjective

ˈfrəm-pē 

frumpier; frumpiest

: dowdy, drab: such as

a

: dressed in an unattractive way

He's a frumpy dresser.

That can't be Madonna playing a frumpy '30s-era missionary.

—Peter Travers

b

of clothing : not attractive : having an old, dull, unflattering, or untidy appearance

wore the same old frumpy sweater

… a dizzy mix of matronly frills, frumpy floral prints, and dotty dots …

—Flare

Frumpy shoes—those which forsake all suggestiveness in favor of comfort and mobility—are back.

—Misty White Sidell

Baggy pants, however, can add width and look frumpy.

—Christina Frank

frumpily adverb

frumpily dressed

frumpiness noun

Their hats are stained with sweat … and their clothes have an agreeable air of frumpiness.

—Cathy Horyn

Examples of frumpy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Research from as recently as 2019 noted that older women are often relegated to supporting roles onscreen, or are consistently portrayed as grumpy, frumpy, or senile. — Valerie Monroe, Allure, 15 Sep. 2026

The effortlessness of it all speaks to me, plus modern lounge sets (like Holmes’s) look much more polished and less like frumpy pajamas or a basic pair of sweatpants and an old college hoodie. — Kaitlin Clapinski, InStyle, 11 Sep. 2026

Its slim-fitting jogger pants and matching T-shirt give you a put-together, not frumpy look. — Brooke Knappenberger, PEOPLE, 20 Aug. 2026

Modern, even futuristic, wedges are a fresh option that'll keep granny shorts from feeling frumpy. — René Chávez Esparza, Glamour, 3 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1840, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for frumpy

• bumpy
• dumpy
• grumpy
• jumpy
• lumpy
• stumpy