plump
1 Americanadjective
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
-
to drop or fall heavily or suddenly; come down abruptly or with direct impact.
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Chiefly British. to vote exclusively for one candidate in an election, instead of distributing or splitting one's votes among a number.
verb (used with object)
-
to drop or throw heavily or suddenly (often followed bydown ).
He plumped himself down and fell asleep.
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to utter or say bluntly (often followed byout ).
She plumps out the truth at the oddest times.
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to praise or extol.
road signs plumping the delights of a new candy bar.
noun
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a heavy or sudden fall.
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the sound resulting from such a fall.
adverb
-
with a heavy or sudden fall or drop.
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directly or bluntly, as in speaking.
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in a vertical direction; straight down.
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with sudden encounter.
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with direct impact.
adjective
verb phrase
noun
-
a group or cluster.
-
a flock.
a plump of ducks.
verb
-
to drop or fall suddenly and heavily
to plump down on the sofa
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to give support (to) or make a choice (of) one out of a group or number
noun
adverb
-
suddenly or heavily
he ran plump into the old lady
-
straight down; directly
the helicopter landed plump in the middle of the field
adjective
adjective
-
well filled out or rounded; fleshy or chubby
a plump turkey
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bulging, as with contents; full
a plump wallet
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(of amounts of money) generous; ample
a plump cheque
verb
noun
Synonym Usage
See stout.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of plump1
First recorded in 1475–85; earlier plompe “dull, rude,” from Middle Dutch plomp “blunt, squat”; cognate with Middle Low German plump “uneducated, clumsy”
Origin of plump2
First recorded in 1375–1425; Middle English verb plumpen “to plunge into water, dive,” cognate with Dutch plompen; probably imitative
Origin of plump3
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English plump; origin unknown
Explanation
Something that's plump has a nice round shape. You could describe watching your plump little cousin eating one plump grape after another. Objects and people can both be described as plump, as long as they're full or round or chubby. Though some people might be offended by being called plump, it's meant to describe an appealing roundness. And when you plump something, you pat or shake it so that it becomes fuller: "Let me plump those pillows on the bed while you tuck the sheets in."
Vocabulary lists containing plump
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Plump quarterly payments are relatively scarce, so the fund’s top holdings cover mostly familiar ground: oil, soda, fighter jets, pills, cigarettes, and for those with the moral flexibility for it, phone service.
From Barron's • Feb. 20, 2026
Plump quails and miniature foxes unique to the island scurry across the dirt roads that wind through scrubby hillsides.
From New York Times • Dec. 2, 2023
Plump resigned from the Alabama House of Representatives.
From Washington Times • Sep. 27, 2023
Plump pods and flossy seed heads signal the end of this year’s growing season while holding the germ of the next.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 12, 2022
Plump, translucent lizards lived behind old pictures, and waxy, crumbling ancestors with tough toe-nails and breath that smelled of yellow maps gossiped in sibilant, papery whispers.
From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
