Word Origin & History
frumpy1746, "cross-tempered," from frump (n.) "bad temper" (1660s) and an earlier v. meaning "to mock, browbeat" (1550s), of obscure origin, perhaps imitative of a sneer or derisive snort. Sense of "sour-looking, unfashionable" is from 1825, but this may be a shortening of frumple "to wrinkle, crumple" (late
14c.), from M.Du. verrompelen, from ver- "completely" + rompelen "to rumple." Related: Frumps. Cf. also
frump.