bumpkin

1 of 2

noun (1)

bump·​kin ˈbəm(p)-kən How to pronounce bumpkin (audio)
: an awkward and unsophisticated rustic
bumpkinish adjective
bumpkinly adjective

bumpkin

2 of 2

noun (2)

bump·​kin ˈbəm(p)-kən How to pronounce bumpkin (audio)
variants or bumkin
: a spar projecting from a ship especially at the stern

Examples of bumpkin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Working in a glass tower and living in the big city may still be the dream for a bumpkin like Jianlin, but China’s young urbans are starting to head in the opposite direction and seeking more comfortable lifestyles in the countryside. Mohamed El Aassar, Fortune, 25 Jan. 2024 But there’s a bitter and violent tone of hatred here that’s more reminiscent of 70s thrillers like Straw Dogs or Deliverance, where backwards country bumpkins take out their grievances on innocent newcomers. Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 July 2023 These skirts are chic, fresh and modern, rather than stuffy or country bumpkin. Laura Fenton, Washington Post, 13 June 2023 Memphis, a guitar-strumming gentle giant with a country bumpkin way — touchingly incarnated by Sheldon D. Brown — is the main target of Waters’ irrational ire. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2023 In Russia, people heard a man who could never finish a sentence or get to the punch line—and whose accent marked him, to the end, as a country bumpkin. Masha Gessen, The New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2022 But as the contrasting energies that joined the Brusteins — Jew and gentile, sophisticate and bumpkin — begin to go haywire, Isaac, otherwise deft and charming, cannot find a way to merge Sidney’s laissez-faire liberalism with his period-typical yet vile sexism. Jesse Green, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2023 Both of the twins struggled in their Snatch Game performances; Sugar couldn’t nail down any jokes or even mild cracks as professional internet troll Trisha Paytas, while Spice made her Miley Cyrus a cartoonish country bumpkin hitting herself on the head with a sledgehammer. Stephen Daw, Billboard, 23 Jan. 2023 Schlesinger delves into the dark and depressing world of Times Square hustlers, featuring an unforgettable Jon Voight as country bumpkin Joe Buck. Emily Burack, Town & Country, 26 Jan. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bumpkin.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

perhaps from Dutch bommekijn small cask, from Middle Dutch, from bomme cask

Noun (2)

probably from Dutch boomken, diminutive of boom tree

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1570, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

circa 1613, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bumpkin was in 1570

Dictionary Entries Near bumpkin

Cite this Entry

“Bumpkin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bumpkin. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

bumpkin

noun
bump·​kin
ˈbəm(p)-kən

More from Merriam-Webster on bumpkin

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!