plump

1 of 6

verb (1)

plumped; plumping; plumps

intransitive verb

1
: to drop, sink, or come in contact suddenly or heavily
plumped down in the chair
2
: to favor or decide in favor of someone or something strongly or emphatically
used with for

transitive verb

1
: to drop, cast, or place suddenly or heavily
2
: to give support and favorable publicity to

plump

2 of 6

noun (1)

: a sudden plunge, fall, or blow
also : the sound made by a plump

plump

3 of 6

adverb

1
: with a sudden or heavy drop
2
a
: straight down
b
: straight ahead
3
: without qualification : directly
plump out of luck

plump

4 of 6

noun (2)

chiefly dialectal
: group, flock
a plump of ducks rose at the same timeH. D. Thoreau

plump

5 of 6

verb (2)

plumped; plumping; plumps

transitive verb

: to make plump

intransitive verb

: to become plump

plump

6 of 6

adjective

1
: having a full rounded usually pleasing form
a plump woman
2
plumpish adjective

Examples of plump in a Sentence

Adverb there was a squirrel on the sidewalk plump in front of us Adjective His aunt pinched his plump cheeks. she's been plump all her life, and her sister has always been skinny
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
To capture a similar look, try the Pinking of You Satin Blush and plumping lip gloss in Pink Razor. Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 10 Mar. 2024 The illuminating serum still has its skincare ingredients, including niacinamide to even skin tone, shrink pores, boost the skin barrier and brighten, along with centella asiatica to reduce redness and hyaluronic acid to plump and hydrate. Celia Shatzman, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 First Spray Serum harnesses the antioxidant properties of truffles to help plump and nourish skin, while working to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Tim Chan, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Feb. 2024 Material: Bian stone | Key Features: Sculpts skin, minimizes wrinkles, brightens complexion, plumps skin What Is Bian Stone? Bian stone originated 65 million years ago in Shandong, China, after a meteorite strike. Sophie Dodd, Peoplemag, 22 Feb. 2024 This innovative tool harnesses the power of light therapy to brighten and plump the skin, effectively reducing fine lines and wrinkles while providing instant soothing relief. Kat Romero, Rolling Stone, 31 Jan. 2024 Cook, stirring often, until raisins plump, another minute or two. Pervaiz Shallwani, WSJ, 9 Feb. 2024 Meanwhile, the cream gives your skin a front row seat to plump, translucent radiance. India Espy-Jones, Essence, 6 Feb. 2024 The salty, sugary brining liquid will plump the meat and balance the flavors, while the tea's acids and tannins will tenderize. Sheri Castle, Southern Living, 5 Feb. 2024
Noun
Tatcha Dewy Serum Unveil plump, dewy skin with a multitasking serum that uses lactic acid to smooth, hyaluronic acid to plump, and squalane to seal in moisture. Jenny Berg, Vogue, 26 Nov. 2023 Creamy pearls brighten, hyaluronic acid plumps and hydrates, and pigments and tetrapeptides color correct. Celia Shatzman, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 Counting Selena Gomez among its fans, the Dewy Skin Cream plumps dry skin with long-lasting hydration via the Hadasei-3 blend and hyaluronic acid. Annie Blackman, Allure, 28 Nov. 2023 La Mer The Moisturizing Soft Cream Formulated with the brand’s custom Miracle Broth, the intensely rich cream plumps, firms, and moisturizes the skin. Jenny Berg, Vogue, 26 Nov. 2023 Meanwhile, aloe vera and sunflower seed oil plumps and conditions skin. Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 21 Nov. 2023 This hydrating, color-changing formula moisturizes and visibly plumps, offering a luxurious shine at a budget-friendly price. Find it on AmazonFind it on Walmart Refresh Your Hair Instantly With This Dry Shampoo Keep your hair looking fresh with the convenient travel-sized dry shampoo powder. Kathy Barr, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2023 Perfect for sensitive skin, the lightweight formula hydrates and plumps without any irritation. Jenna Rosenstein, Harper's BAZAAR, 15 Feb. 2023 Collagen plumps and firms the skin, while vitamin C acts as an antioxidant, protecting against free radicals that cause damage and accelerate the aging process. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 6 June 2023
Adjective
The asteroid, which before the DART encounter looked like a ball that was a bit plump in the waist, now appears to be shaped more like a watermelon - or, technically, a triaxial ellipsoid, scientists said on Tuesday. Fox News, 20 Mar. 2024 Paczki are a plump and pillowy yeast pastries that are covered in a sweet glaze, powdered sugar-dusted or unglazed and filled with a filling of fruit jellies, or the traditional prune, custard or cream fillings. Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 13 Feb. 2024 The long-lasting hybrid is spiked with skincare ingredients to keep lips hydrated and plump. Celia Shatzman, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 Production of the collagen that keeps the skin plump and firm begins to dwindle in our late twenties and early thirties, but a thoughtful daily routine can help with retaining and boosting it—without resorting to the needle. Ana Morales, Vogue, 10 Feb. 2024 Both products contain shea butter, coconut oil, seed oil, and hydrating vitamins in their formulas, leaving your lips feeling soft and plump. Jenna Anderson, Sunset Magazine, 21 Feb. 2024 The formula contains Pro-Vitamin B5 to hydrate and condition, while keeping lashes plump all day, humidity be damned. Erin Michelle Newberg, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024 And Gertrude, the oldest sister, keeper of the earliest memories, recounted her usual details about the garlic farm: how the garlics were plump as pumpkins, how the Pookies always made shrimp scampi, how the Pookies loved them all very much. Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 12 Feb. 2024 Heavy, ample, plump, tubby—these might as well be curse words. TIME, 2 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'plump.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English

Noun (2)

Middle English plumpe

Adjective and Verb (2)

Middle English, dull, blunt, from Middle Dutch plomp

First Known Use

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1533, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Adjective

1569, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of plump was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near plump

Cite this Entry

“Plump.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plump. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

plump

1 of 5 verb
1
: to drop, sink, or come in contact suddenly or heavily
plumped down in the chair
2
: to support someone or something strongly
used with for
plump for a candidate

plump

2 of 5 noun
: a sudden plunge, fall, or blow

plump

3 of 5 adverb
1
: with a sudden or heavy drop
2
: directly entry 1 sense 1
ran plump into the wall

plump

4 of 5 verb
: to make or become plump
plump up a pillow

plump

5 of 5 adjective
: having a full rounded form : chubby
plumpness noun
Etymology

Verb

Middle English plumpen "to drop or sink heavily"

Verb

plump (adjective) "rounded, chubby," from Middle English plump "dull, blunt"

More from Merriam-Webster on plump

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