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 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
In the premiere, Martha is made to look as dumpy and pathetic—and then as unhinged—as possible.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 19 Apr. 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 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
In the premiere, Martha is made to look as dumpy and pathetic—and then as unhinged—as possible.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 19 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for dumpy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dumpy
Adjective
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Zilpha still thought of Jaron as a man of Cornish hedges, although his work was with Charles Upchurch Sway Partners (CUSP), a hedge fund operated from a central trunk in Lausanne and its stout branch in New York.—
Annie Proulx,
New Yorker,
10 Aug. 2025
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The Pride came out with more intensity in the second half, searching for a way to break through Utah’s stout defense.—
Kyle Foley,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The real estate flipper and property manager who built his empire on broken promises Former real estate broker Bert Whalen lived comfortably in a waterfront mansion on Geist Reservoir while Indianapolis tenants suffered in dilapidated and neglected homes his companies managed.—
Alexandria Burris,
IndyStar,
13 Aug. 2025
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By now, most Denverites know that the Denver Broncos’ ownership team is highly considering acquiring the dilapidated and contaminated Burnham Yard site from the state to build a new stadium and entertainment district.—
The Denver Post Editorial Board,
Denver Post,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The chili verde is soft and succulent and the plump chicken pairs well with any of the three salsas brought to the table.—
Roger Naylor,
AZCentral.com,
14 Aug. 2025
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Unlike the ones now rotting on Ian Chandler’s farm, these had a chance to be harvested by hand and are in their prime — plump and juicy and ready to eat.—
David Culver,
CNN Money,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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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
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But its location in the neglected and overgrown space remains a mystery.—
Laura L. Davis,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
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Prior to the arrival of police at the site of the deadly stabbing, a stocky bald man and a thin woman wearing her hair in a ponytail — both described as possibly homeless — were seen leaving the area in separate directions.—
City News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 July 2025
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The priest was an Assyrian monk, a stocky, bushy-bearded man with long black hair; the girl looked to be about 11.—
John Jeremiah Sullivan James Patrick Cronin Emma Kehlbeck Zak Mouton,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The immolation of the Bronx was all the more staggering because, a generation before, it had been filled with upwardly mobile residents in sturdy homes.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
18 Aug. 2025
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For five rounds, Chimaev rag-dolled a massive and sturdy champion in Dricus Du Plessis en route to a decisive victory (50-44 x3).—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
17 Aug. 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
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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 22 Aug. 2025.
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