plump

1 of 6

adjective

ˈpləmp 

1

: having a full rounded usually pleasing form

a plump woman

2

: ample, abundant

plumpish

ˈpləm-pish 

adjective

plump

2 of 6

verb (1)

plumped; plumping; plumps

transitive verb

: to make plump

—often used with up

plump up a pillow

intransitive verb

: to become plump

plump

3 of 6

verb (2)

plumped; plumping; plumps

intransitive verb

1

: to drop, sink, or come in contact suddenly or heavily

plumped down in the chair

2

: to favor or decide in favor of someone or something strongly or emphatically

—used with for

plumping for the incumbent

transitive verb

1

: to drop, cast, or place suddenly or heavily

2

: to give support and favorable publicity to

plump

4 of 6

noun (1)

: a sudden plunge, fall, or blow

also : the sound made by a plump

plump

5 of 6

adverb

1

: with a sudden or heavy drop

2

a

: straight down

b

: straight ahead

3

: without qualification : directly

plump out of luck

plump

6 of 6

noun (2)

chiefly dialectal

: group, flock

… a plump of ducks rose at the same time …

—H. D. Thoreau

Synonyms of plump

Adjective

• fat
• round
• full
• chubby
• pudgy
• rotund
• corpulent
• fleshy
• stout
• thick
• obese

Verb (2)

• plop

Noun (1)

• blow
• pound
• thump
• slap
• punch
• thud
• hit
• swipe
• whack
• stroke
• poke
• knock
• lick
• smack
• bang
• spank
• beat
• slam

Adverb

• straight
• right

Examples of plump in a Sentence

Adjective

His aunt pinched his plump cheeks.

she's been plump all her life, and her sister has always been skinny

Verb (2)

plumped herself down on the couch and turned on the TV

Noun (1)

angrily gave a plump of his fist against the door

Adverb

there was a squirrel on the sidewalk plump in front of us

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The centerpiece, adorned with plump peaches and a full moon, blends an American style of clay-throwing with carving techniques Saw learned in Jingdezhen. —Abbey Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 9 Apr. 2026

Vitamin E and sunflower seed oil buff out uneven texture and plump fine lines. —Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 8 Apr. 2026

Verb

There’s also a skin-plumping vegan collagen serum on sale for $35, which is a steal considering the brand rarely hosts sales. —Rylee Johnston, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026

The Activscience's Triple Firming Neck Cream is a firming cream that plumps, tightens, and moisturizers crepey skin. —Isabel Bekele, InStyle, 10 Apr. 2026

Noun

Thanks to its impressive ingredient lineup, the L'Oréal serum plumps and smooths your complexion while simultaneously blurring imperfections. —Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 9 Apr. 2026

Tocobo’s lip masks are made with antioxidant-rich plant oil blends and melt on contact, leaving your pout plump and refreshed. —Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 1 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Verb (1)

Middle English, dull, blunt, from Middle Dutch plomp

Verb (2)

Middle English

Noun (2)

Middle English plumpe

First Known Use

Adjective

1569, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

1533, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Verb (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun (1)

1596, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing plump

• plump for

Rhymes for plump

• bump
• chump
• clump
• crump
• dump
• gump
• hump
• jump
• lump
• pump
• rump
• slump

Kids Definition

plump

1 of 5 verb

ˈpləmp 

1

: to drop, sink, or come in contact suddenly or heavily

plumped down in the chair

2

: to support someone or something strongly

—used with for

plump for a candidate

plump

2 of 5 noun

: a sudden plunge, fall, or blow

plump

3 of 5 adverb

1

: with a sudden or heavy drop

2

: directly entry 1 sense 1

ran plump into the wall

plump

4 of 5 verb

: to make or become plump

plump up a pillow

plump

5 of 5 adjective

: having a full rounded form : chubby

plumpness noun

Etymology

Verb

Middle English plumpen "to drop or sink heavily"

Verb

plump (adjective) "rounded, chubby," from Middle English plump "dull, blunt"