Umph
/ʊmf/noun
An interjection expressing effort, exertion, impact, or emphasis, also used to mean energy or vitality.
Did you know?Umph is a sound-symbolic word related to the expressive form “oomph,” whose modern sense of vigor or sex appeal emerged in American English during the 1930s.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-20th Century
English
umph
“An imitative grunt or exclamation associated with physical effort, impact, or resistance”
Early 20th Century
English
umph
“An informal interjection representing exertion or a forceful bodily sound”
1930s
American English
oomph
“A variant form associated with vigor, force, vitality, or personal magnetism”
1935
American English
oomph
“Recorded in the sense of energy, appeal, or especially sexual attractiveness”
Modern English
English
umph
“A spelling variant of “oomph,” used as an expressive sound or a noun for vigor and impact”