chump

C2+ Topic:People & Society

US /tʃʌmp/ UK /tʃʌmp/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
a foolish or easily deceived person

Only a chump would buy a watch from a stranger on the street.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a foolish or easily... fool sucker dupe sap dolt simpleton mug

Opposites

sagemastermind

Etymology

Originally 'a thick lump of wood' (early 18th c.), perhaps a blend of chunk and lump or stump; the sense 'blockhead, foolish person' developed by association with a thick block of wood.

Topics

People & Society

External links

# chump

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /tʃʌmp/
**IPA (UK):** /tʃʌmp/

## Meanings
1. a foolish or easily deceived person

## Examples
- Only a chump would buy a watch from a stranger on the street.

## Synonyms
- fool
- sucker
- dupe
- sap
- dolt
- simpleton
- mug

## Antonyms
- sage
- mastermind

## Etymology
Originally 'a thick lump of wood' (early 18th c.), perhaps a blend of chunk and lump or stump; the sense 'blockhead, foolish person' developed by association with a thick block of wood.

## AI Etymology
Chump is a noun meaning "a foolish or easily deceived person". Historically, it is originally 'a thick lump of wood' (early 18th c.), perhaps a blend of chunk and lump or stump; the sense 'blockhead, foolish person' developed by association with a thick block of wood. The visible construction is part of the etymology: chump is not just an unanalyzed simple word. The semantic history matters here: the earlier use is the starting point, and the modern sense, "a foolish or easily deceived person", is the later or specialized English value.

## Topics
- People & Society

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