pimp
Americannoun
-
pimps
plural
verb (used without object)
-
pimps,
present (3rd person singular)
-
pimped,
past participle, past
-
pimping
present participle
-
to act as a pimp, soliciting customers for a prostitute or brothel in return for a share of the earnings.
-
to engage in promotion or publicizing.
She's used her blog before to pimp for her brother's band.
verb (used with object)
-
pimps,
present (3rd person singular)
-
pimped,
past participle, past
-
pimping
present participle
-
to act as a pimp for, procuring customers for a prostitute or brothel (sometimes followed byout ).
It won't be long before the so-called boyfriend starts pimping her out.
-
to promote; sell.
We'll send you albums and pimp your websites on ours.
-
to exploit.
You've been accused of pimping your friendships, using them as material for your novels.
-
to customize, modify, or decorate (a car or the like); deck out (sometimes followed by up or out):
My cousin pimped his lowrider with some wild hydraulics.
-
to make more appealing; rejuvenate; elevate; jazz up (sometimes followed by up or out): This article on pimping your skincare routine is all about buying new products.
The chef likes to pimp her burgers with a fried egg and truffle oil.
This article on pimping your skincare routine is all about buying new products.
noun
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a man who solicits for a prostitute or brothel and lives off the earnings
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a man who procures sexual gratification for another; procurer; pander
verb
-
(intr) to act as a pimp
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slang (tr) to adapt or embellish in an ostentatious manner
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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pimpsimple
-
pimpssimple
-
have pimpedperfect
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has pimpedperfect
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am pimpingprogressive
-
are pimpingprogressive
-
is pimpingprogressive
-
have been pimpingperfect progressive
-
has been pimpingperfect progressive
Past
-
pimpedsimple
-
had pimpedperfect
-
was pimpingprogressive
-
were pimpingprogressive
-
had been pimpingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of pimp
First recorded in 1630–40; origin uncertain
Explanation
A pimp is someone who employs prostitutes — they work for the pimp, who gets a cut of their money. He pimps them. Pimp is a word that has greatly shifted in meaning, as it sometimes means "great" or "cool," as in "That bike is pimp!" However, that's a slang meaning that many people, especially adults, won't understand or like. The main meaning of pimp as the boss of prostitutes is pretty creepy, because prostitution is illegal and pimps are not known for treating their workers very nicely. For some reason, pimps are known for their flashy dress.
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.
See Examples For:
The alleged pimp, Kevin Mays, was an assistant men’s basketball coach and former player at Cal State Bakersfield.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 6, 2026
The Plummer brothers - Tremaine, Tristan and Twaine - opted for a mix of cravats and dicky bows to pimp up their navy blue suits.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2022
A former officer who matched her description of Smith’s partner had died years earlier, as did her pimp.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 14, 2022
It’s why it seems appropriate that he just might be the first major leaguer to pimp his takes.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 29, 2020
If generous youth be blessed with luck and wealth, * Displeasures fly his path and perils fleet: His enviers pimp for him and par'site-wise * E'en without tryst his mistress hastes to meet.
From The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 09 by Sir Richard Francis Burton
Another bill, the Sex Trade Survivors Justice & Equality Act, would focus on punishing customers and pimps, in an attempt to strengthen current laws on sex trafficking.
From New York Times ● Jul. 23, 2021
Listening to musicians, lovers, pimps, childhood friends and FBI agents recounting their time with Holiday is an evocative and transportive experience.
From The Guardian ● Nov. 6, 2020
In the eternal quest for scoops, he plied cops with drinks, switchboard operators with flowers, and pimps and punks with cash.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 25, 2019
“Anyone who pimps himself out to the M.E.K. fails the litmus test for integrity,” he said.
From The New Yorker ● Apr. 29, 2019
Blacktown crawled with white people, with pimps, prostitutes, bootleggers, with hustlers of all kinds, with colorful characters, and with police and prohibition agents.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
It could have been a scene from earlier wars, except it was pimped by technology.
From BBC ● May 16, 2022
His work car, which my brothers and I loved to sneak inside, had tinted windows and was pimped, as we said at the time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 17, 2021
Other looks in the collection included shearling-style jackets and oversized trousers with a chevron pattern, while some styles were pimped up with sequins, including a pair of baggy jeans.
From Reuters ● Mar. 9, 2021
Williams, another avid tailgater who hosts his own group, purchased a bus he calls “the Diesel” — pimped out with TVs inside to watch other NFL games and places to sit.
From Washington Times ● Nov. 22, 2017
Terrell gets dropped off by his brother Mike, who’s driving a pimped BMW with chromed-out rims and tinted windows.
From "Boy21" by Matthew Quick
For instance, Tate denies that he was pimping anyone and Carlson signs off on this view by scoffing, "How do you force someone to make TikTok videos?"
From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2023
"I don't mind people pimping strikeouts and pimping stuff on the field. I've never been a player like that, but I don't mind it; I love it," Smith said, via ESPN.
From Fox News ● May 1, 2021
Speaking to The Sun, Alison denied the claims in the book and said she was shocked and appalled that Mariah would accuse her of pimping her out.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2020
In this case, we’re looking at a variation on a well-traveled bogus-check scam, rejiggered to attract people open to pimping their rides for advertising purposes.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2019
“We have a really pimping house,” he informs me.
From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
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.
