frumpy
adjective
\ ˈfrəm-pē
\
\
frumpier;
frumpiest
Definition of frumpy
a
: dressed in an unattractive way
He's a frumpy dresser. That can't be Madonna playing a frumpy '30s-era missionary.— Peter Travers
b
of clothing
: not attractive : having an old, dull, unflattering, or untidy appearance
wore the same old frumpy sweater … a dizzy mix of matronly frills, frumpy floral prints, and dotty dots … — Flare Frumpy shoes—those which forsake all suggestiveness in favor of comfort and mobility—are back.— Misty White Sidell Baggy pants, however, can add width and look frumpy.— Christina Frank
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Examples of frumpy in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Hospitals were somewhat frumpy, primarily community servants rather than businesses. — Jeffrey M. Drazen, BostonGlobe.com, "How drug ads drive up health care costs," 13 Aug. 2019 Here’s the thing: When done right, this unlikely pairing is anything but baggy and frumpy. — Vogue, "Do You Dare to Wear a Dress Over Pants? Here’s How to Do It Right," 17 Apr. 2019 And women candidates have to strike an incredibly tricky balance in the public eye: being confident without being boastful, being stylish without being either too garish or too frumpy, and appearing strong without being overbearing. — Ella Nilsen, Vox, "“Likability” ratings in a recent New Hampshire poll show just how tough female candidates have it," 23 July 2019 The guy was dressed frumpy that first visit, a baggy three-button suit. — Steven Kurutz, New York Times, "The Last Great Clothing Store," 29 Mar. 2018 The house itself is almost arrestingly unfancy, frumpy even. — Rob Haskell, Vogue, "Billionaire Democrat Tom Steyer on Impeaching Trump, Getting Out the Vote, and Winning in 2020," 14 Nov. 2018 The furnishings may be frumpy, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing: those beefy, round-cornered dressers designed for hotel use are practically tip-proof. — Sara Clemence, Town & Country, "A Five-Star Hotel Room Almost Killed My Child," 6 June 2017 From the pilot to the finale, her cardigans were perfectly worn in, the jeans were distressed just so, and the coats were oversize without looking frumpy or sad. — Mekita Rivas, Glamour, "20 Years Later, Felicity Is Still The Ultimate Fall Fashion Lookbook," 28 Sep. 2018 When these companies don’t collaborate with disabled people, the clothes often look frumpy and unflattering, purely functional with no consideration for fashion. — Edward Lampley, Teen Vogue, "What It's Like to Be a Disabled Model in the Fashion Industry," 5 Sep. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'frumpy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for frumpy
frumpy
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of frumpy
: dressed in an unattractive way
also, of clothing
: old and unattractive
See the full definition for frumpy in the English Language Learners Dictionary