frumpier; frumpiest
a
: dressed in an unattractive way
He's a frumpy dresser.
That can't be Madonna playing a frumpy '30s-era missionary.—
Peter Travers
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
FlareFrumpy shoes—those which forsake all suggestiveness in favor of comfort and mobility—are back.—Misty White Sidell
Misty White SidellBaggy pants, however, can add width and look frumpy.—Christina Frank
Christina Frank
frumpily
adverb
frumpily dressed
frumpiness
noun
Their hats are stained with sweat … and their clothes have an agreeable air of frumpiness.
—Cathy Horyn
Cathy Horyn
Examples of frumpy in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Now, how does a frumpy liver doctor end up with a Vacheron Constantin?
—Andy Andersen, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2024
Roseanne Barr made her film debut in this dark comedy from director Susan Seidelman, playing frumpy housewife Ruth.
—EW.com, 31 May 2024
On top of it all, this slim-fitting coat even manages to be flattering, despite the generally frumpy nature of raincoats.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 1 Apr. 2024
Gerber’s accessories brought her outfit from frumpy plane look to the sleek ensemble of a world traveler.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 3 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for frumpy 
Andy Andersen, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2024
Roseanne Barr made her film debut in this dark comedy from director Susan Seidelman, playing frumpy housewife Ruth.
—EW.com, 31 May 2024
On top of it all, this slim-fitting coat even manages to be flattering, despite the generally frumpy nature of raincoats.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 1 Apr. 2024
Gerber’s accessories brought her outfit from frumpy plane look to the sleek ensemble of a world traveler.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 3 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for frumpy
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'frumpy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near frumpy
Cite this Entry
“Frumpy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frumpy. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share