Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

pimple

/ˈpɪmp(ə)l/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.83 in modern English

Syllables: pim-ple
IPA: /ˈpɪmp(ə)l/

12

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An inflamed (raised and colored) spot on the surface of the skin that is usually painful and fills with pus.

noun

An annoying person.

Derogatory; Slang

noun

Scotch (whisky)

Slang

verb

To mark, cover or disfigure (something) as with pimples.

Transitive verb

verb

To develop pimples.

Intransitive verb

Example Sentences

"I had to pop that embarrassing pimple, it was huge and red and on the tip of my nose."
"He's such a pimple! I wish he'd stop being so irritating!"

Etymology

Early Modern English pimple, pumple, from Middle English pymple, pympyl, of uncertain origin but probably a nasalized variant of Old English *pipel, *pypel, from Old English piplian, pyplian (“to break out in pimples, show eruptions”), probably related to Latin papula (“pimple, pustule”) (from Proto-Indo-European *pap- (“pock mark, nipple”)). Akin to Old English pipliġende (“having shingles”).

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: pymple, *pipel, piplian, *pap-

Usage

Inflected Forms

pimples (plural) pimples (present, singular) pimpling (participle, present) pimpled (participle, past) pimpled (past)

Derived Forms

pimpleback pimpled pimpleface pimpleless pimplelike pimplous pimply

Phrases

goose pimple pimple dick simple as a pimple

Frequently Paired Words

blackhead whitehead

Synonyms

pimple and blotch acker acne pustule spot plook zit hickey

Rhymes With

simple dimple kimpel wimple scrimple timple rimple crimple limple

Questions

How do you pronounce pimple?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈpɪmp(ə)l/.
What does pimple mean?: An inflamed (raised and colored) spot on the surface of the skin that is usually painful and fills with pus.
Where does pimple come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce pimple

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “pimple”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈpɪmp(ə)l/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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