oomph

noun

ˈu̇m(p)f 

1

: personal charm or magnetism : glamour

2

: sex appeal

3

: punch, vitality

Synonyms

• beans
• bounce
• brio
• dash
• drive
• dynamism
• energy
• esprit
• gas
• get-up-and-go
• ginger
• go
• gusto
• hardihood
• juice
• life
• moxie
• pep
• punch
• sap
• snap
• starch
• verve
• vigor
• vim
• vinegar
• vitality
• zing
• zip

Examples of oomph in a Sentence

The plot of the story lacks oomph.

The truck doesn't have the oomph to haul the boat.

Recent Examples on the Web

KitchenAid 7-Speed Hand Mixer $90 $70 Amazon For more versatility and a bit more oomph, go for this 7-speed hand mixer that comes with a whisk attachment, which is perfect for whipping up airy meringue. —Tiffany Hopkins, Bon Appétit, 2 Dec. 2024

According to Ruiz, pro colorists can also pair these services with more moisturizing salon treatments to give your hair that extra oomph. —Jenna Ryu, SELF, 2 Dec. 2024

Yet the casting choice highlights how Callas recast herself in the 1950s, shedding a third of her body mass to transform from a zaftig soprano cliché into a high-fashion sylph (and in the process, sacrificing a bit of her oomph). —Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Nov. 2024

Now, alongside Dune: Part Two, Wicked and Gladiator seem set to give the Oscars field a fresh dose of blockbuster oomph. —Nate Jones, Vulture, 23 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

imitative of a sound made under exertion

First Known Use

1930, in the meaning defined at sense 1