Chump
/tʃʌmp/
nounB1
Definition
A "chump" is someone who is easily tricked or fooled by others. It usually means the person is not very careful or smart in certain situations. People often use this word to describe someone who trusted others too much and got hurt or lost because of it.
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⚡ See It in Action
A person who is easily fooled or tricked
- •He felt like a chump after buying that fake watch.
- •Don’t be a chump and believe everything you hear.
- •She played the chump in the prank, but laughed afterward.
Someone who acts in a silly or naive way
- •Only a chump would forget their own birthday.
- •He looked like a chump when he tried to fix the computer and made it worse.
🧲 Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "chump" like "fool" (A1 word), but more informal and a little less serious—like a silly mistake rather than a big problem
- ✓Picture someone falling for a simple trick or joke and looking surprised or confused afterward
- ✓It's the feeling you get when you realize you trusted the wrong person and feel a bit embarrassed
- ✓Sounds like "chump" → imagine a big soft ball (like a lump) that someone accidentally trips over because they weren't paying attention
- ✓In stories or movies, the "chump" is often the character who gets tricked but learns a lesson later
- ✓NOT like "genius" (very smart)—a chump is more like someone who misses obvious signs or warnings
- ✓NOT like "victim" (hurt by serious crime)—a chump is usually fooled in smaller, less serious ways
- ✓NOT like "enemy" (someone who wants to harm)—a chump is usually just unlucky or naive, not bad
🔄 Try Other Words
- •Sucker: someone easily tricked or taken advantage of (Use when the person is tricked repeatedly or with more emotion)
- •Dupe: a person who is deceived (Use in more formal or serious situations)
- •Naive person: someone who trusts too much because they don't know better (Use when focusing on innocence or lack of experience)
🔍 Unboxing
- •Word parts: (no prefix or suffix) — just the simple word "chump"
- •Etymology: Origin uncertain, but used in English since early 1900s as slang for a foolish person
- •Historical development: Started as informal slang, mostly in American English, to describe someone easily fooled or weak
- •Modern usage: Commonly used in casual speech or writing to describe people who make silly mistakes or are tricked
💭 Reflect & Connect
•Can someone be a chump in one situation but very smart in others? Why or why not?
•How does calling someone a chump affect how we think about their mistakes or learning process?
Fill in the blanks with the correct word:
1.He felt like a chump because he ___ the simple trick without noticing.
2.Calling someone a chump usually means they were ___ or not careful.
3.Unlike a smart person, a chump often ___ obvious signs or warnings.
4.People sometimes say "Don’t be a chump" to warn someone ___ making a mistake.
5.After losing money in the game, she laughed at herself for being a chump and ___ the lesson.
6.A chump is different from a victim because the chump is mostly ___ by their own choices.
7.When someone acts like a chump, they usually ___ trust too easily or think too simply.