frumpy

adjective

ˈfrəm-pē 

frumpier; frumpiest

: dowdy, drab: such as

a

: dressed in an unattractive way

He's a frumpy dresser.

That can't be Madonna playing a frumpy '30s-era missionary.

—Peter Travers

b

of clothing : not attractive : having an old, dull, unflattering, or untidy appearance

wore the same old frumpy sweater

… a dizzy mix of matronly frills, frumpy floral prints, and dotty dots …

—Flare

Frumpy shoes—those which forsake all suggestiveness in favor of comfort and mobility—are back.

—Misty White Sidell

Baggy pants, however, can add width and look frumpy.

—Christina Frank

frumpily adverb

frumpily dressed

frumpiness noun

Their hats are stained with sweat … and their clothes have an agreeable air of frumpiness.

—Cathy Horyn

Examples of frumpy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Ford Focus Electric, with its appealing, Euro-hatchback lines, lacks the frumpy feel of self-denial often associated with electric cars. —IEEE Spectrum, 28 Mar. 2012

Unlike its frumpy counterparts, the body-skimming dress adds intrigue with its ruched bodice, puff sleeves, open back, and side slit. —Emily Belfiore, Travel + Leisure, 2 Nov. 2024

Aunt Bee, of course, was the frumpy older relative on The Andy Griffith Show, played by Frances Bavier. —Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 14 Oct. 2024

Her evolving wardrobe has proven that pregnancy style, while focused on function, need not be frumpy. —Christian Allaire, Vogue, 9 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1840, in the meaning defined above