lumpish
adjUS, UK /ˈlʌmpɪʃ/
Etymology Partly: * from Late Middle English lumprissh, lumpryssh (“of a somewhat lumpy consistency”), from lumpe (“mass of material; excrescence, swelling; mass of people, crowd; useless person”) or lumpred (“piled up or twisted into lumps”) (both possibly related to Proto-Germanic *limpaną (“to glide; to go; to hang limply”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)lembʰ- (“to hang limply”)) + -ish (suffix forming adjectives with the sense ‘of the nature of; similar to; somewhat’); and * from lump (noun, verb) + -ish. Compare English lumber.
7 senses
1
Having an ill-defined or rough form or shape like a lump; lumplike.
- The Sprite […] lifting vp his lompiſh head, vvth blame / Halfe angrie asked him, for vvhat he came.1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 43, page 15:
- It ſeems to me that mere unmixed uglineſs does not ariſe from ſharp angles, or from any ſudden variation, but rather from that want of form, that unſhapen lumpiſh appearance, vvhich, perhaps, no one vvord exactly expreſſes; a quality that never can be miſtaken for beauty, never can adorn it, and vvhich is equally unconnected vvith the ſublime and the pictureſque.1794, Uvedale Price, chapter IX, in An Essay on the Picturesque, as Compared with the Sublime and the Beautiful; […], volume I, London: […] J. Robson, […], →OCLC, page 161:
2 more examples
- Thus, also, you pass from the lumpish grub in the earth to the airy and fluttering butterfly.1854 August 9, Henry D[avid] Thoreau, “Spring”, in Walden; or, Life in the Woods, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor and Fields, →OCLC, page 328:
- The lumpish, irregular totems crafted by this American sculptor [Rachel Harrison] were outfitted here with that most contemporary and most loathsome of accessories: the selfie stick.2015 December 16, Jason Farago, “The best American art shows of 2015”, in The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 06 Oct 2023:
2
Figuratively Awkward and ungainly in appearance or movement; clumsy, inelegant.
- [H]e emerged from some struggling trees, and looked out upon a wild moorish country, composed of a succession of swelling lumpish hills, […]1820 March, [Walter Scott], chapter IV, in The Monastery. A Romance. […], volume III, Edinburgh: […] Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […]; and for Archibald Constable and Co., and John Ballantyne, […], →OCLC, pages 113–114:
- Continental soldiers looked lumpish beside our lean-bred fellows: but against my supple Nejdis the British in their turn looked lumpish.1922 (date written; published 1926), T[homas] E[dward] Lawrence, “Book IX: Balancing for a Last Effort. Chapter XCIX.”, in Seven Pillars of Wisdom: A Triumph, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Doran & Company, published 1937, →OCLC, page 544:
3 more examples
- But the play's snatches of racy prose do not offset its stretches of lumpish playwriting. Too often both untidy and oldfashioned, it closed after four performances.1951 March 5, “New Plays in Manhattan”, in Time, New York, N.Y.: Time Inc., →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 05 Aug 2023:
- He [Baccio Bandinelli] is otherwise best known for the lumpish statue of Hercules and Cacus that still stands outside the Palazzo [Vecchio], a desperate and failed attempt to rival the greatness of his nemesis [Michelangelo].2010 May 2, Charles Darwent, “Beauty and power: The Peter Marino Collection, Wallace Collection, London [review]”, in The Independent, London: Independent News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 07 Oct 2023:
- Direction of the principal characters is effective, but the crowd scenes tend to the lumpish, with a paradoxically static feel, despite the overt busyness of it all.2011 October 17, Deon Irish, “‘La Traviata’ in need of finer tuning”, in Cape Times, Cape Town, South Africa: Independent News and Media SA, →OCLC, archived from the original on 07 Oct 2023:
3
Figuratively Dull and slow in acting, thinking, etc.; without energy; cloddish, lethargic, slow-witted, sluggish.
- So forth he vvent, / VVith heauy looke and lumpiſh pace, that plaine / In him bevvraid great grudge and maltalent; / His ſteed eke ſeemd t'apply his ſteps to his intent.1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto IIII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 61, page 461:
- [A] ſong I prethee, I loue theſe French moouings; oh they are ſo cleane if you treade them true, you ſhal hit them to a haire; ſing, ſing, ſing ſome odde and fantaſticall thing, for I cannot abide these dull and lumpiſh tunes, the Muſition ſtands longer a pricking them then I vvould doe to heare them: no, no, no, giue mee your light ones, that goe nimbly and quicke, and are full of changes, and carrie ſvveet deuiſion […]1601–1602 (date written), attributed to Thomas Dekker and/or Thomas Middleton, Blurt Master-Constable. Or The Spaniards Night-walke. […], London: […] [Edward Allde] for Henry Rockytt, […], published 1602, →OCLC, signature C3, recto:
4 more examples
- But I have greatly neglected the knovvledge of God, vvhen hee threatneth, I am ſenſeleſs; in his preſence, I am irreverent, dead-hearted vvhen I appear before him; lumpiſh in Prayer, looſe in Meditation […]1660, John Ball, “[How These Things are to bee Applied upon the Heart and Pressed upon the Soul]”, in A Treatise of Divine Meditation, London: […] H. Mortlock [for Simeon Ashe], […], →OCLC, page 149:
- The vvhole Sex are generally Quick and Sharp: I believe I may be allovv'd to ſay generally ſo; for you rarely ſee them lumpiſh and heavy vvhen they are Children, as Boys vvill often be.1693 (date written), D. F. [pseudonym; Daniel Defoe], “Of Academies”, in An Essay upon Projects, London: […] R. R. for Tho[mas] Cockerill, […], published 1697, →OCLC, page 293:
- The lumpiſh husband ſnoar'd avvay the night, / Till coughs avvak'd him near the morning light.1709, Alexander Pope, “January and May; or, The Merchant’s Tale, from Chaucer”, in The Works of Mr. Alexander Pope, volume I, London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintot, […], published 1717, →OCLC, page 223:
- The greatest number have a sort of an heavy, lumpish acquiescence in Government, without much respect or esteem for those, that compose it.1777 October 8 (date written), Edmund Burke, “Letter to the Honourable Charles James Fox”, in [Walker King], editor, The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, new edition, volume IX, London: […] [R. Gilbert] for C[harles] and J[ohn] Rivington, […], published 1826, →OCLC, page 150:
4
Figuratively Of sound: dull, heavy.
- The uplifted Hanger dropped from his Hand, and he fell proſtrate on the Floor vvith a lumpiſh Noiſe, and his Halfpence rattled in his Pocket; the red Liquor vvhich his Veins contained, and the vvhite Liquor vvhich the Pot contained, ran in one Stream dovvn his Face and his Clothes.1742, Henry Fielding, “Containing as Surprizing and Bloody Adventures as can be Found in This, or perhaps any Other Authentic History”, in The History of the Adventures of Joseph Andrews, and of His Friend Mr. Abraham Adams. […], volume II, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book III, page 98:
- Thou bear'ſt aloof, and look'ſt vvith high diſdain, / Upon the dull mechanic train; / VVhoſe nerveleſs ſtrains flag on in languid tone, / Lifeless and lumpiſh as the bagpipe's drovvzy drone.a. 1765 (date written), Robert Lloyd, “Ode to Genius”, in The Poetical Works of Robert Lloyd, A.M. […], volume II, London: […] T[homas] Evans […], published 1774, →OCLC, page 174:
1 more example
- No sounds but the steady ticking of the clock, and the lumpish snoring of a large dog stretched on a mat outside the dining-room door, disturbed the mysterious morning stillness of hall and staircase.1862, [William] Wilkie Collins, chapter I, in No Name. […], volume I, London: Sampson Low, Son, & Co., […], →OCLC, 1st scene (Combe-Raven, Somesetshire), page 3:
5
Obsolete Full of lumps; lumpy.
6
Obsolete Of a thing: having a shape and/or weight which makes it inconvenient to move; cumbersome, unwieldy.
- [I]t is better to have a ſhaft [of an arrow] a litle to ſhort than over longe, ſomevvhat to light, than over lumpiſhe, a litle to ſmal, than a greate deale to big, […]1545, Roger Ascham, Toxophilus, the Schole of Shootinge […], London: […] Edouardi Whytchurch, →OCLC:
7
Figuratively, Obsolete Miserable, sad.
- He [the Devil] marketh well […] mennes complexions within thẽ [them], health, or ſicknes, good humours or badde, by which they be light hearted or lumpiſh, ſtrong hearted, or faynt & fieble of ſpirite, bolde and hardy, or timorous and fearefull of courage.1534 (date written; published 1553), Thomas More, “A Dyalogue of Comforte agaynste Tribulacyon, […]. XVI. Of Hym that were Moued to Kyl Himself by Illusion of the Dyuel, which He Rekened for a Reuelation.”, in Wyllyam Rastell [i.e., William Rastell], editor, The Workes of Sir Thomas More Knyght, […], London: […] Iohn Cawod, Iohn Waly, and Richarde Tottell, published 30 April 1557, →OCLC, pages 1195–1196:
- After them vvent Diſpleaſure and Pleaſaunce, / He looking lompiſh and full ſullein ſad, / And hanging dovvne his heauy countenaunce; / She chearfull freſh and full of ioyaunce glad, / As if no ſorrovv ſhe ne felt ne dread; […]1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto XII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 18, page 581:
3 more examples
- Vpon this vvarrant, ſhall you haue acceſſe, / VVhere you, vvith Siluia, may conferre at large. / For ſhe is lumpiſh, heauy, mellancholy, / And (for your friends ſake) vvill be glad of you; / VVhere you may temper her, by your perſvvaſion, / To hate yong Valentine, and loue my friend.c. 1590–1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii], page 32, column 1:
- [Y]ou must be extremely well apprised, that there is a very close correspondence between the outward and in the inward man; […] a contracted brow, a lumpish downcast look, a sober sedate pace, with both hands dangling quiet and steady in lines exactly parallel to each lateral pocket of his galligaskins, is logic, metaphysics, and mathematics, in perfection.1712 November 3 (Gregorian calendar), [Richard Steele], “THURSDAY, October 24, 1712”, in The Spectator, number 518; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume VI, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC, page 12:
- I felt ſomething ſo ſtrange, and my Heart vvas ſo lumpiſh!— […] I'll take thee, O lumpiſh, contradictory, ungovernable Heart, to ſevere Taſk for this thy ſtrange Impulſe, vvhen I get to my dear Father's and Mother's; and if I find any thing in thee that ſhould not be, depend upon it, thou ſhalt be humbled, if ſtrict Abſtinence, Prayer and Mortification, vvill do it!1741, [Samuel Richardson], “The Journal Continued. [Monday.]”, in Pamela: Or, Virtue Rewarded. […], 3rd edition, volume II, London: […] C[harles] Rivington, […]; and J. Osborn, […], →OCLC, page 35:
- Derived terms
- lumpishly, lumpishness