twerp

or twirp

[twurp]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR twerp ON THESAURUS.COM

noun Slang.

an insignificant or despicable fellow: Her father thinks her boyfriend is just a twerp.

Origin of twerp

First recorded in 1920–25; origin uncertain

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for twerp

ass, stooge, jerk, idiot, sucker, clown, twit, buffoon, nitwit, moron, boob, nerd, clod, dunce, imbecile, victim, lightweight, bore, sap, dolt

Examples from the Web for twerp

Contemporary Examples of twerp

“Melissa the Twerp”Not everyone who writes or calls into Car Talk loves Car Talk.
‘Car Talk’ Hosts to Retire: Best Moments With NPR’s Laughing Mechanics
Caitlin Dickson
June 9, 2012
Naturally, they invited her on to co-host on November 5, 1994, an episode later titled, “Melissa the Twerp.”
‘Car Talk’ Hosts to Retire: Best Moments With NPR’s Laughing Mechanics
Caitlin Dickson
June 9, 2012
Any man can find a twerp here and there who will go along with cheating, and it doesn't take all that much manhood.
Ronald Reagan's Marital Advice
David Frum
May 16, 2012

Historical Examples of twerp

I've been running this twerp back to his masters to see where he went.
Little Brother
Cory Doctorow

British Dictionary definitions for twerp

twerp

twirp

noun

informal a silly, weak-minded, or contemptible person

Derived Formstwerpy or twirpy, adjective

Word Origin for twerp

C20: of unknown origin

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 twerp

of unknown origin; the "Dictionary of American Slang" gives a first reference of 1874 (but without citation), which, if correct, would rule out the usual theory that it is from the proper name of T.W. Earp, a student at Oxford c.1911, who kindled wrath "in the hearts of the rugger-playing stalwarts at Oxford, when he was president of the Union, by being the last, most charming, and wittiest of the 'decadents.' " [Rawson]