plump

1 of 6

adjective

1
: having a full rounded usually pleasing form
a plump woman
2
plumpish adjective

plump

2 of 6

verb (1)

plumped; plumping; plumps

transitive verb

: to make plump

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

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 timeH. D. Thoreau

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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Adjective
Try Nourish All Night with hyaluronic acid and retinol to visibly lock in moisture, hydrate and plump. Chloe Castleberry, Flow Space, 18 Oct. 2024 Yes, wrinkle creams do actually work to smooth, plump, and firm the look of skin over time. Kiana Murden, Vogue, 16 Oct. 2024
Verb
The gorgeous brightening, firming, and plumping effects will enhance your retinol experience. Hyphensocial Contributors, Rolling Stone, 25 Oct. 2024 Humectants like hyaluronic acid and glycerin attract and grab onto water in the atmosphere, helping to hydrate skin and plump it up for a smoother, more even texture. Emily Orofino, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2024
Noun
This hair-raising pre-styling spray plumps limp, flat strands for a thicker, fuller-body look. Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 10 Oct. 2024 As green coconut water plumps hair with hydration, zeolite, a natural mineral, absorbs excess oil at the scalp so your style isn't weighed down. Allure, 26 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for plump 

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)

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of plump was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near plump

Cite this Entry

“Plump.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plump. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

plump

1 of 5 verb
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"

More from Merriam-Webster on plump

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