oomph
Americannoun
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energy; vitality; enthusiasm.
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sex appeal.
noun
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enthusiasm, vigour, or energy
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sex appeal
Etymology
Origin of oomph
An Americanism dating back to 1935–40; imitative of the sound made during exertion, as in lifting a heavy object
Explanation
Oomph is an exciting, energetic quality in a person. If you don't have enough oomph, it will be hard to talk your classmates into voting for you for student council president. The informal noun oomph is a good way to describe a certain aspect of someone's personality that resists being named. If you've got oomph, you're spirited and lively — you could say you've got moxie or pizzazz. Sometimes the word describes a specific kind of attractiveness or desirability: "My brother says he likes that actress because of her oomph." This word dates from the 1930s.
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.
Jonny Gray hasn't played any rugby since the end of January and a partnership of Gilchrist and Gray doesn't give enough ball-carrying oomph.
From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026
Doctors believe that the rash of broken hamates also stems from modern players wanting more oomph, which has led to changes in how they hold the bat.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026
As she tells it, the special oomph that soy sauce adds to a bake is, in a word, umami.
From Salon • Dec. 13, 2025
It was cheerful and rhymed but lacked oomph.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 3, 2025
Numbness was setting in, but I had just enough oomph left to get me through finals.
From "Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie" by Jordan Sonnenblick
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.
