romper: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples

Medium
UK/ˈrɒm.pə/US/ˈrɑːm.pɚ/

Neutral

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Quick answer

What does “romper” mean?

A one-piece garment for a baby or young child, covering the body and with legs, typically fastened at the crotch.

Audio

Pronunciation

Definition

Meaning and Definition

A one-piece garment for a baby or young child, covering the body and with legs, typically fastened at the crotch.

A person or thing that breaks something; in fashion, can refer to a one-piece, short-legged jumpsuit worn by adults.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

In UK English, 'romper' is almost exclusively for children. In US English, 'romper' is also common for adult women's fashion.

Connotations

UK: Associated strongly with babies/toddlers. US: Strongly baby-related, but also has a trendy, casual fashion connotation for adults.

Frequency

More frequent in US English due to the dual meaning. In UK English, 'babygrow' or 'sleepsuit' might be more common for infants.

Grammar

How to Use “romper” in a Sentence

VERB + romper: wear, put on, change, buy, unbutton

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong
baby rompertoddler romperlace romperdenim romper
medium
cute romperstriped romperchange a romper
weak
summer romperwhite romperwear a romper

Examples

Examples of “romper” in a Sentence

adjective

British English

  • The romper suit was covered in cute dinosaurs.

American English

  • She loved the romper style for casual outings.

Usage

Meaning in Context

Business

Used in retail/fashion marketing (e.g., 'Our summer collection features new rompers').

Academic

Rare, except in historical/sociological studies of children's clothing.

Everyday

Common in parenting contexts and informal fashion discussions.

Technical

In garment manufacturing, refers to a specific pattern/cut.

Vocabulary

Synonyms of “romper”

Strong

onesie (infant, trademark often generalised)

Neutral

playsuit (UK)jumpsuit (long-legged)babygrow (UK)

Vocabulary

Antonyms of “romper”

Watch out

Common Mistakes When Using “romper”

  • Using 'romper' to mean a regular jumpsuit for work (too casual/childish).
  • Misspelling as 'romper' or 'romper'.
  • Using it as a verb (e.g., 'He rompered the paper' is incorrect).

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

A romper has short legs, while a jumpsuit typically has full-length legs.

No, it is a neutral, informal word, common in everyday and fashion contexts.

While traditionally for babies and women's fashion, there have been brief trends in men's rompers, though they are not mainstream.

It originates from the verb 'to romp' (play boisterously), as it was a garment for children to play in comfortably.

A one-piece garment for a baby or young child, covering the body and with legs, typically fastened at the crotch.

Romper: in British English it is pronounced /ˈrɒm.pə/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈrɑːm.pɚ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.

Phrases

Idioms & Phrases

  • Dressed like a baby in a romper (informal, implies overly childish attire).

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

ROM-PER: A garment for a tot to ROAM and PLAY in. Think of a baby ROMPing around in a romper.

Conceptual Metaphor

CLOTHING IS A CONTAINER (for the body).

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap
For the beach party, she chose a floral print instead of a dress.
Multiple Choice

In which variety of English is 'romper' commonly used to describe an adult's garment?