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
The dumpy old Abe Stark Sports Center, the ice rink on the boardwalk between 19th and 20th Streets, is getting a major renovation as well.
—
Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 24 Sep. 2025
Torry’s candidly dumpy, dingy, dated, wood panel lined courtroom allowed for the placement of contemporary art and the banging of nails into walls which would have been forbidden in one of the ornate ground floor courtrooms.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
The Slip concerns sixteen-year-old Nathaniel Rothstein, a dumpy sad sack who, after getting into a fight at school, is sent to live with his uncle in Austin for the summer of 1998.
—Lucas Schaefer
june 13, Literary Hub, 13 June 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for dumpy
Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 24 Sep. 2025
Torry’s candidly dumpy, dingy, dated, wood panel lined courtroom allowed for the placement of contemporary art and the banging of nails into walls which would have been forbidden in one of the ornate ground floor courtrooms.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
The Slip concerns sixteen-year-old Nathaniel Rothstein, a dumpy sad sack who, after getting into a fight at school, is sent to live with his uncle in Austin for the summer of 1998.
—Lucas Schaefer
june 13, Literary Hub, 13 June 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for dumpy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dumpy
Adjective
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Nola held his own against a stout Venezuela lineup, holding them to just one run — a Eugenio Suarez solo home run on a curveball outside the zone in the fourth inning — while striking out three.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
17 Mar. 2026
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All have the stout beak that gives the bird its name.—
Ernie Cowan,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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But these Brown and Black immigrants were usually segregated into dilapidated apartments in the region’s oldest housing stock.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
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The guy handed Gary some cash and Stewart disappeared into a dilapidated trailer.—
Jonathan Bernstein,
Rolling Stone,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The pancakes were fluffy on the inside and lacy at the edges, topped with a generous dollop of Meyer lemon curd and a handful of gloriously plump blueberries.—
Alaina Chou,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
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Briany, with her plump cheeks and full head of dark hair, wasn’t normally this fussy.—
Jeff Ernsthausen,
ProPublica,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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When first performed at L.A. Opera a decade ago, the lavish production, co-produced with English National Opera, helped recover a neglected opera.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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His refusal to weaponize suffering is one of his most important — and most neglected— lessons.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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This adorable costume looks poised to rule over The Masked Singer stage with a flick of her paw and a wag of her stumpy tail.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 Jan. 2026
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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
Adjective
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Groundhogs, also known as woodchucks, are larger and stockier animals that weigh in at around 14 pounds and measure about 25 inches long.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Mar. 2026
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Police determined that the suspect, described as a Black man with a stocky build, fled the scene going southbound on York Road in a white BMW.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Donica, across from her, is on sturdier ground, fearsome to the point of awe-inspiring in the sustained fury of his fermatas, though his considerable force as a performer longs to be shaped more cleanly.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
19 Mar. 2026
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Be sure to cover your head and neck with your arms, and crawl under a sturdy table if possible.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Short stubby legs and a rounded headboard also amplify the twee appeal of the frame.—
Erika Owen,
Architectural Digest,
13 Mar. 2026
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Alvarezsaurs were predominantly small, with stubby but powerful forelimbs, long and gracile hindlimbs and lightly built skulls.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dumpy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dumpy. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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