Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- interjection Used to express doubt, displeasure, or contempt.
from The Century Dictionary.
- An exclamation uttered in the manner of a grunt, and expressive of disbelief, doubt, or dissatisfaction.
- To utter the syllable humph, as in dissatisfaction; mutter; grumble.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- interjection An exclamation denoting surprise, or contempt, doubt, etc.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- interjection Used to express
doubt ordisapproval
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
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Examples
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I am not well assured whether an attack of the "humph" -- "the humph which is black and blue" -- is not also diagnosed by the contemplative insects and forthwith attended to.
My Tropic Isle 1887
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Kirsteen, wounded, could not refrain from saying, "My mother wanted me," which was met solely by that impatient indifference which we render badly by the word humph!
Kirsteen: The Story of a Scotch Family Seventy Years Ago Margaret 1891
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"humph" -- not that he doubted the truth of the Word, but that he doubted its applicability on the present occasion.
The Prairie Chief 1859
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So even if you're busy with whatever it is you're doing and you hear your partner laugh at the TV or say "humph," it's a bid for your attention and you should inquire.
Jane Minogue: A Champagne Toast to the 50 percent Who Stay Married 2009
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There's a main funny character I think of as the Chinese Xander and his female counterpart who goes "humph" in the cutest way.
10/13/09 Bonus Post - Chinese TV arhyalon 2009
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I am not well assured whether an attack of the “humph” — “the humph which is black and blue” — is not also diagnosed by the contemplative insects and forthwith attended to.
My Tropic Isle 2003
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She pointed to the companionway for him to take the board to his commander and with another "humph" he stomped off.
Freedoms Challenge McCaffrey, Anne 1998
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The good-wife with a "humph" and a sigh forsook the battle,
Poems Teachers Ask For Selected by readers of "Normal Instructor-Primary Plans" Various
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The Doctor answered my inquiry with a non-committal "humph" of the most professional sort.
The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 12, No. 72, October, 1863 Various
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Now 'humph' bears different interpretations; it may argue assent, indifference, disgust, disapprobation -- in all cases it is aggressive; but this 'humph' seemed to be a combination of at least three of the above-mentioned frames of mind.
The Continental Monthly, Vol. 5, No. 1, January, 1864 Various
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