mumpish look
- noun
- Archaic
- A mumpish look crossed her face when her idea was rejected.
Examples
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His mumpish look told everyone he was upset about missing the party.
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She sat in the corner with a mumpish look that lasted all evening.
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He had a mumpish look on his face.
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Why does she always wear a mumpish look?
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When she heard the criticism, a mumpish look appeared on her face.
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His mumpish look indicated that he was not in the mood to talk.
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After losing the game, he sat quietly with a mumpish look throughout dinner.
Synonyms
An angry, silent look that shows someone is upset
A sad look that shows someone feels unhappy
A face that shows discomfort or dislike
Antonyms
How Sulky
Surface Forms
Morphology
mumpish + look
The expression is a simple adjective + noun composition: 'mumpish' (sullen, sulky) modifying 'look' (facial expression), so the meaning 'a sullen or sulky facial expression' is directly derivable from the parts. In practice 'mumpish' is rare and likely unknown to many learners, but given knowledge of both constituents the phrase is transparent.
Etymology
Mumpish look comes from the old verb mump, which meant to sulk or pout. Imagine someone with a tight mouth and unhappy eyes — that quiet, unhappy face is a mumpish look, so the phrase now means 'a sullen or sulky facial expression'.