chump
1 Americannoun
-
Informal. a stupid person; dolt.
Don't be a chump—she's kidding you along.
-
a short, thick piece of wood.
-
the thick, blunt end of anything.
-
Slang. the head.
idioms
verb (used with or without object)
noun
-
informal a stupid person
-
a thick heavy block of wood
-
-
the thick blunt end of anything, esp of a piece of meat
-
( as modifier )
a chump chop
-
-
slang the head (esp in the phrase off one's chump )
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of chump1
1695–1705; perhaps blend of chunk 1 and lump 1
Origin of chump2
First recorded in 1850–55; variant of champ 1
Explanation
A chump is a sucker or a fool — someone who is very gullible. If a con artist cheats you out of money, you may end up feeling like a chump. Chump is a very informal word for someone who falls for every trick and scheme, or who believes everything you tell them. If you get an email from an African prince asking for your bank account information so he can give you a lot of money, and you respond excitedly, ready to collect the cash, you're a chump. This meaning of chump first appeared in the 1880s — earlier, the word meant "short, thick piece of wood."
Vocabulary lists containing chump
Ghost
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"The Mixer," Vocabulary from the short story
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Okay for Now
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
"We've paid hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes since 2012. How much have you paid? Chump change for sure. Enjoy!"
From Salon • Aug. 21, 2021
I only started to recover after I read Chump Lady--her blog and book.
From New York Times • Jan. 22, 2018
The Sun on Sunday's headline - playing on the BBC's initials - reads simply "Bye Bye Chump".
From BBC • Nov. 11, 2012
Hand-wringing over the Christian content of popular entertainment conjures an image of Ali privately thinking of himself as "The Chump".
From The Guardian • Dec. 13, 2010
Chump, chump, went the engine, sounding stolid and Dutch and obstinate, as if nothing on earth or water could induce it to go faster than it chose.
From The Chauffeur and the Chaperon by Anderson, Karl
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.
