Pumped

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /pʌmpt/

Definitions

1. Moved or filled with liquid or air using a pump; feeling very excited or enthusiastic about something
2. Propelled or supplied forcefully with fluid through mechanical action; showing great eagerness or high energy
3. Circulated or introduced pressure or fluid by pumping; experiencing strong enthusiasm or motivational energy

Etymology: "Pumped" is the past tense of "pump," and the verb's origin is one of etymology's genuine puzzles. Its earliest form appears in Middle English as "pumpe," and scholars have proposed several sources without settling on one. The likeliest candidates come from Middle Dutch "pompe" or Middle Low German "pumpe," both meaning a pipe or water conduit, and the word is probably imitative in origin, shaped by the sound of the thing itself. The Oxford English Dictionary records its first appearance in the 16th century but labels its origin "obscure." Other guesses are more colourful. One links the word to "pomp," meaning ornamentation, while another suggests it imitates the slapping sound of a foot moving loosely inside a shoe while dancing. A further proposal connects it to the Dutch "pampoesje," a kind of slipper, which may have been borrowed from Javanese and traced back through Arabic and Persian to a word for a shoe or sandal. None of these has been proven, so the trail ends in uncertainty.

Synonyms: inflated, filled, boosted

Antonyms: deflated, emptied