'frumpy' originates from the English word 'frump,' which referred to a dowdy or drab person.

'frump' was used in Middle English to describe a person who was considered unfashionable or dull, eventually evolving into the modern adjective 'frumpy.'

Initially, it meant 'a dowdy person,' but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'unfashionable and dowdy in appearance.'