Humpty Dumpty

American  

[huhmp-tee duhmp-tee] / ˈhʌmp ti ˈdʌmp ti /

noun

1. an egg-shaped character in a Mother Goose nursery rhyme that fell off a wall and could not be put together again.

2. (sometimes lowercase) something that has been damaged severely and usually irreparably.

---

humpty dumpty British  

/ ˈhʌmptɪ ˈdʌmptɪ /

noun

1. a short fat person

2. a person or thing that once overthrown or broken cannot be restored or mended

---

“Humpty Dumpty” Cultural  

1. A nursery rhyme:

   Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall;

   Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.

   All the king's horses and all the king's men

   Couldn't put Humpty together again.

---

Etymology

Origin of Humpty Dumpty

Rhyming compound based on humpty; see hump, -ed ³, -y ²

Example Sentences

In 1871 Lewis Carroll’s Humpty Dumpty told Alice: “When I use a word, it means whatever I choose it to mean.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 15, 2025

“It’s going to be extremely expensive to put Humpty Dumpty back together again once they wreck it.”

From Salon • Apr. 18, 2025

A house on the site said to be the inspiration for the Humpty Dumpty nursery rhyme has been put up for sale.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2024

Humpty Dumpty is an apt analogy here: It’s easier to prevent his great fall than to put him together again after he’s broken.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2023

“It’s impossible to critique CJ’s work because it’s always mangled, glued together like this. I mean, we’re talking serious Humpty Dumpty every time.”

From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson