pimp

1 of 2

noun

ˈpimp 

plural pimps

: a person and especially a man who controls one or more sex workers, arranges clients for them, and takes a cut of their earnings

pimp

2 of 2

verb

pimped; pimping; pimps

transitive verb

1

: to make use of often dishonorably for one's own gain or benefit

2

informal : to customize and adorn (something, such as a car or apartment) in an ostentatious or lavish way

Their backhoe had four spotlights on a bar above the cab, the same way kids pimped their pick-up trucks, and together the four beams made a wide pool of halogen brightness.

—Lee Child

—often used with out

This is a parallel world where teenagers pimp out their motorboats, customizing them with dazzling LED lights and powerful stereo systems …

—Leo Barraclough

Foreign buyers—many of them anonymous—have poured cash into Miami's real-estate market for years. Think mansions priced at over $20 million, condos pimped out with private rooftop pools, and spec houses with wild extras.

—Raisa Bruner

intransitive verb

: to work as a pimp

Synonyms

Noun

• cadet [slang]
• fancy man
• pander
• procurer

Verb

• abuse
• capitalize (on)
• cash in (on)
• exploit
• impose (on or upon)
• leverage
• milk
• play (on or upon)
• use
• work

Examples of pimp in a Sentence

Noun

the sting operation nabbed 15 prostitutes and two pimps

Verb

a movie actress who pimped everybody she ever met as she clawed her way to the top

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Police later determined she’d been trafficked in Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Oakland, and passed around between multiple pimps, two of whom were later arrested in Nevada, court records show. —Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 20 Sep. 2024

Is Klute a better man than the abusive johns and pimps in Bree’s life or just more timidly possessive? —A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 25 June 2024

Verb

Two suits against Tim Ballard have already been dismissed and a third is headlined by a woman convicted of pimping minor children. —Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2024

The plea deal resolves a case that has been hanging in the balance since 2018, when the pair were arrested and charged in a 20-count criminal complaint, accusing them of pimping, pandering, money laundering and conspiracy to commit a felony. —Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 17 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

probably akin to British dialect pimp small bundle of sticks, Middle English pymple papule, German Pimpf young boy, kid, literally, little fart, Pumpf, Pumps fart

First Known Use

Noun

1600, in the meaning defined above

Verb

circa 1640, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Legal Definition

pimp

1 of 2 noun

ˈpimp 

: one who derives income from the earnings of a prostitute usually by soliciting business compare panderer

pimp

2 of 2 intransitive verb

: to work as a pimp compare pandering