ENGLISH
REFERENCE

chump

n.
C1 Advanced US //ˈtʃəmp// UK //tʃˈʌmp// chump Archaic Informal Slang Vulgar

n. a person who is very foolish or easy to trick. You use this word when someone makes a silly mistake or is taken advantage of by others.

n. a person who is perceived as foolish, gullible, or easily deceived. Often carries a derogatory or dismissive tone.


SIMPLE

He was a total chump for falling for that scam.

CONTEXTUAL

The con artist played on the victim's fear, making him a chump who lost his life savings.

COMPLEX

While some might view his investment as a calculated risk, others saw him as a chump who failed to recognize the inherent volatility of the market.

Synonyms
Etymology 1

Origin uncertain; probably a blend of chunk and lump or stump, or perhaps a nasalised variant of chub (“someone chubby, something thick”). Compare Icelandic kubbur (“block of wood, chip (computing)”), Old Norse kumbr for kubbr (“block of wood”), English chop.

Etymology 2

Variant of chomp, itself a variant of champ (“to bite”). More at champ.

Idioms1 entry

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