gimp

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈgimp 

plural gimps

1

offensive : a disabled person

2

: limp

She walks with a gimp in one leg …

—Damon Runyon

gimp

2 of 4

verb

gimped; gimping; gimps

intransitive verb

: limp, hobble

gimping up the stairs

gimp

3 of 4

noun (2)

plural gimps

: an ornamental flat braid or round cord used as a trimming

gimp

4 of 4

noun (3)

plural gimps

: spirit, vim

And if I had an ounce of gimp in me I'd see that he was suspended from the force.

—Atlantic Monthly

Examples of gimp in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The gimp monster, the little critters that rattled around in the basement, and Dylan McDermott in various states of undress are images no one will soon forget. —Brian Moylan, Vulture, 26 Apr. 2024

Verb

Isiah Thomas turned his ankle gruesomely early in the third quarter of Game 6 of the ’88 finals, went to the bench for a minute, came back out, and scored a finals single-quarter record 25 points in the period, gimping up the floor in pursuit of the play. —David Aldridge, New York Times, 20 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

origin unknown

Noun (2)

perhaps from Dutch

Noun (3)

perhaps from gimp fish line strengthened with wire

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1886, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1931, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1664, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1882, in the meaning defined above