HUMPH
What does "HUMPH" mean?
An exclamation, made through closed lips, expressing doubt, displeasure, or contempt.
Meanings
- A grunting sound used to show dissatisfaction, skepticism, or scorn. "Humph," she said, and turned back to her crossword.
- An utterance of that grunting sound. He answered the apology with a noncommittal humph. informal
Word origin
An imitative word - it spells out the closed-mouth grunt itself - recorded in English from the early 1600s as a written stand-in for the nasal 'hmph' of disdain.
Remember it
HUMPH is the sound it spells: hum with your lips shut, then push a 'ph' of disapproval out your nose.
A little poem
Lips pressed to a line,
the whole argument summed up
in one nasal sound.
haiku
Wordplay
- Why is 'humph' the most honest word? It's the only one that says exactly how it sounds and means exactly how it feels.
What it teaches
Sometimes the most eloquent reply is the one that refuses to spend a single real word on you.
Quick facts
What does HUMPH mean?
An exclamation, made through closed lips, expressing doubt, displeasure, or contempt.
Is HUMPH a valid word?
Yes — HUMPH is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is HUMPH?
HUMPH has 5 letters and 1 syllable.
Where does HUMPH come from?
An imitative word - it spells out the closed-mouth grunt itself - recorded in English from the early 1600s as a written stand-in for the nasal 'hmph' of disdain.
What can HUMPH teach us?
Sometimes the most eloquent reply is the one that refuses to spend a single real word on you.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.