Word
tramp
US/ˈtɹæmp/
UK/tɹˈæmp/
Countable noun
Definition
n. a person who has no home or job and travels from place to place. It can also be a rude word for someone who has many sexual partners.
n. a person with no permanent home or employment who travels on foot; also used as a derogatory term for a person perceived as promiscuous.
Examples
“The old tramp sat on the park bench with his bags.”
“He spent years living as a tramp, moving between small towns and sleeping in fields or shelters.”
“The novel explores the harsh realities of life for a tramp during the Great Depression, highlighting the social stigma and physical exhaustion of constant travel.”
Examples
simple
“The old tramp sat on the park bench with his bags.”
contextual
“He spent years living as a tramp, moving between small towns and sleeping in fields or shelters.”
complex
“The novel explores the harsh realities of life for a tramp during the Great Depression, highlighting the social stigma and physical exhaustion of constant travel.”
Usage
The sense referring to a homeless person is often considered dated or insensitive; the sexual sense is highly offensive.
Real-World Examples
“When I lived in Suffolk in the 1970s, a tramp used to come looking for odd jobs.” Etymology
From Middle English trampen (“to walk heavily”), from Middle Low German trampen (“to stamp”) (trampeln (“to walk with heavy steps”), see trample) or from Middle Dutch trampen (“to stamp”), from Proto-West Germanic *trampan (“to step”). Doublet of tremp. Cognate with Dutch trampen (“to stamp, kick, step”), dialectal German trampen (“to step, walk, tread”), whence commoner German trampeln (“to trample”). Probably related to trap.
Clipping of trampoline (ultimately related to the verb via German trampeln).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
Idioms
01. saddle tramp
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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