pimple
- 01 A2 Elementary
n.a small, raised, red spot on the skin that is often painful and may contain pus.
n.a small, inflamed papule or pustule on the surface of the skin, typically associated with acne.
Simple“He was worried about a large pimple that appeared on his nose before the party.”
In context“The dermatologist explained that the pimple was caused by a blocked pore and advised against attempting to squeeze it.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to start growing small red spots on your skin.
v.to develop or become covered with small inflamed skin lesions.
Simple“His forehead began to pimple during the hot, humid summer months.”
In context“The patient's skin tended to pimple whenever he was under significant stress or neglected his cleansing routine.”
Synonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
n.a person who is very annoying or bothersome.
n.a derogatory term for a person perceived as insignificant yet persistently irritating.
Simple“Stop being such a pimple and let me finish my work in peace.”
In context“He was regarded as a minor pimple on the department's reputation, constantly complaining about trivial administrative changes.”
Early Modern English pimple, pumple, from Middle English pymple, pympyl, of uncertain origin but probably a nasalized variant of Old English pipel, pypel, from Old English piplian, pyplian (“to break out in pimples, show eruptions”), probably related to Latin papula (“pimple, pustule”) (from Proto-Indo-European *pap- (“pock mark, nipple”)). Akin to Old English pipliġende (“having shingles”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.