1
as in stout
being compact and broad in build and often short in stature
dumpy little toddlers growing into lanky children
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dilapidated
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect
we could only find rooms at a dumpy motel on the outskirts of the city
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dumpy
At the start of the production, when Blanche arrives at her sister’s dumpy apartment, a lithe young man (Jabez Sykes) contorts himself in abstract choreography.
—
Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2025
In context, Franklin was critiquing a rather dumpy drawing of an eagle lacking a regal beak by the Society of the Cincinnati, which had adopted the nation’s bird as its symbol.
—Kendra Nordin Beato, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 Nov. 2024
In the premiere, Martha is made to look as dumpy and pathetic—and then as unhinged—as possible.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 19 Apr. 2024
In fact, it was released during the slightly less dumpy dump month of February — on February 13, 1991, with nationwide sneak previews on February 2, 1991.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 18 Jan. 2024
See All Example Sentences for dumpy
Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2025
In context, Franklin was critiquing a rather dumpy drawing of an eagle lacking a regal beak by the Society of the Cincinnati, which had adopted the nation’s bird as its symbol.
—Kendra Nordin Beato, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 Nov. 2024
In the premiere, Martha is made to look as dumpy and pathetic—and then as unhinged—as possible.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 19 Apr. 2024
In fact, it was released during the slightly less dumpy dump month of February — on February 13, 1991, with nationwide sneak previews on February 2, 1991.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 18 Jan. 2024
See All Example Sentences for dumpy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dumpy
Adjective
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A lot went wrong for the Chiefs on the evening, but perhaps their biggest issue was their typically stout defense being gashed for 394 yards, with Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert going 25-for-34 with 318 yards and three touchdowns.—
Matthew Schmidt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Sep. 2025
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The Buckeyes defense looks to be stout again after winning the national title last season.—
Erick Smith,
USA Today,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Dayna is unemployed and newly single, and an out-of-the-blue opportunity to fix up a dilapidated mansion into an influencer house seems like her ticket to a new life.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
31 Aug. 2025
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Nearly two weeks after San Jose began dismantling its largest homeless encampment, the city is set to open its first-ever safe sleeping site, which will provide tents for dozens of the approximately 370 residents who have lived in dilapidated RVs and squalor at Columbus Park.—
Devan Patel,
Mercury News,
31 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
At the top of that list is a hyaluronic acid serum that traps moisture and leaves my skin noticeably plump and dewy.—
Rachel Trujillo,
PEOPLE,
9 Sep. 2025
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Fall is the prime time for planting garlic to grow your own large, plump cloves.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Same premise as the exterior, but even more important: Don’t buy a car with a neglected interior.—
Jimmy Camp,
Oc Register,
4 Aug. 2025
-
Close the Loop Following through on commitments is the simplest and yet shockingly most neglected way to earn long-term trust.—
Serenity Gibbons,
Forbes.com,
31 July 2025
Adjective
-
With the costume’s feet at knee-level, an elevated stage (and smoke machine) helped give the appearance that Klum was walking around on E.T.’s characteristically stumpy legs.—
Oscar Holland,
CNN,
1 Nov. 2024
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The heron turns out to be a stumpy man in a costume.—
Moeko Fujii,
The New Yorker,
2 May 2024
Adjective
-
However, Schwarber looks like a player right out of the old school with his stocky build.—
John Perrotto,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
During the poker game, Bowyer and one of his friends, a stocky guy named Michael Greenberg who had been a fixture at those long-ago high school poker games, began talking to a man seated at the card table.—
DAVID AMSDEN,
Rolling Stone,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The sturdy steel frame holds up to 650 pounds, while the insulated cup holders cool and keep drinks within reach.—
Francesca Krempa,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Sep. 2025
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If possible, drive to a nearby sturdy building.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Some of the hands were too thick and the fingers were too stubby, and then some were too thin and the fingers were too long.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
8 Aug. 2025
-
Butler is a victim of a sinister moral panic, one in which small and jealous spirits tore down the highest targets their stubby little souls could reach.—
Armin Rosen,
The Washington Examiner,
25 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dumpy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dumpy. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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