chump

noun

ˈchəmp 

plural chumps

informal : a person who is easily tricked : a stupid or foolish person

When you get down to it, he's a sucker. A chump. He's spent more time and money on me in six weeks than all the men I've known put together.

—Terry McMillan

see also chump change

Synonyms

• dupe
• gull
• mug [chiefly British]
• patsy
• pigeon
• pushover
• sap
• soft touch
• sucker
• tool

Examples of chump in a Sentence

the guy trying to unload that used car must have thought that I was a chump

Recent Examples on the Web

That’s easy: a rube, chump, or mark, whose naive optimism sets them up for betrayal. —Jamil Zaki, TIME, 3 Sep. 2024

With all the accolades bestowed upon her, Brittney Griner is a chump of a player. —Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2024

Then again, the whole point of the Democratic ticket is to be a clearly better option than Trump, not just a different flavor of the same willingness to smile for a quick buck from chumps. —Jim Geraghty, Washington Post, 31 July 2024

Working cooperatively with other nations that share our values and goals does not make the United States a chump. —Joseph R. Biden, Foreign Affairs, 23 Jan. 2020

Word History

Etymology

perhaps blend of chunk and lump

First Known Use

1872, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing chump

• chump change

Kids Definition

chump

noun

ˈchəmp 

informal

: fool entry 1 sense 1, dupe