definitions
  • synonyms

oomph

[ oo mf ]
/ ʊmf /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR oomph ON THESAURUS.COM

noun Informal.

energy; vitality; enthusiasm.
sex appeal.

RELATED WORDS

vigor, potency, zest, zip, pep, vitality, stamina, fortitude, pizzazz, get-up-and-go, intensity, vim, dash, juice, zing, initiative, go, force, strength, endurance

Nearby words

oom, oom paul, oom-pah, oomiak, oompah, oomph, oomycete, oomycota, oona, oont, oophorectomy

Origin of oomph

An Americanism dating back to 1935–40; imitative of the sound made during exertion, as in lifting a heavy object
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for oomph

  • Any good Baby Boom boy my age can testify that the oomph went out of American family car design in 1963.

    P.J. O’Rourke on Grabbing the Keys to Happiness|P. J. O’Rourke|January 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST

  • All the oomph in the U.S. economy was delivered by the top 10% of households.

    How Ted Cruz Can Win in 2016|David Frum|October 25, 2013|DAILY BEAST

  • About the only remarks that could be elicited from the "little yaller man" were a reluctant "oomph" or "oomph-uh."

    Americans All|Various

British Dictionary definitions for oomph

oomph

/ (ʊmf) /

noun informal

enthusiasm, vigour, or energy
sex appeal

Word Origin for oomph

C20: perhaps imitative of the bellow of a mating bull
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for oomph

oomph

"sexual attractiveness," 1937, suggestive visceral physical sound. Ann Sheridan (1915–1967) was the original Hollywood oomph girl (1939).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper