pimp
Americannoun
verb (used without object)
-
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)
-
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
-
a man who solicits for a prostitute or brothel and lives off the earnings
-
a man who procures sexual gratification for another; procurer; pander
verb
-
(intr) to act as a pimp
-
slang (tr) to adapt or embellish in an ostentatious manner
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
pimpsimple
-
pimpssimple
-
have pimpedperfect
-
has pimpedperfect
-
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.
“When I was cast in ‘Zola,’ I thought, ‘Me, playing a pimp? What? In this dark comedy? What do you see in me?’” says Domingo.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 20, 2023
My brother and I just bought my car, and we’re like, “How can we pimp it out? We’re gonna get this wrap, we’re gonna get an underglow for it.”
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 13, 2023
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
“Do you think he ever told Rickey not to pimp those home runs, or tell Eck to not fist-pump?”
From New York Times • Mar. 11, 2021
There was the Hellenism represented by Homer and Plato and Chrysippus; and there was the Hellenism of the low comic stage, of the pimp and parasite.
From Roman Society from Nero to Marcus Aurelius by Dill, Samuel
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.
