pimple

IPA/ˈpɪmpl/
KK[pˈɪmpəl]IPA/ˈpɪmpl/

pimple — noun

  • pimplesingular
  • pimplesplural

1. a tiny, sore-looking bump that pushes up on your skin, often red or with white o

1.nounB1
Definition

a tiny, sore-looking bump that pushes up on your skin, often red or with white or yellow stuff inside, and usually goes away after a few days; common on the face during the teenage years.

Example

Maya stared at the red pimple on her chin in the bathroom mirror.

collocation: pimple on [body part]

Most teenagers get pimples on their forehead, nose, and cheeks during puberty.

typical subject: teenagers / typical locations on the face

Common collocations
  • a red pimple
  • a huge/big pimple
  • squeeze a pimple
  • pop a pimple
  • pimple on the chin/nose/forehead
  • get a pimple
  • covered in pimples
Synonyms
  • spot

    British English everyday word; covers pimples but also other small skin marks

  • zit

    very informal, mainly American teenage slang

  • blemish

    broader and more polite; any small flaw on the skin, used in beauty contexts

  • papule

    medical term used by doctors for a small, solid raised spot

Grammar Patterns

a pimple on [body part]

get/have a pimple

Usage Note

Countable; almost always used with a body part (chin, nose, back) or a possessive. Plural 'pimples' often refers to the general teenage skin problem; for the medical condition itself, use 'acne' instead.

Common Mistakes

I have a pimple in my chin.
I have a pimple on my chin.
use 'on' for spots that sit on the skin's surface, never 'in'.
My face is full of pimple.
My face is full of pimples.
countable noun; use the plural when there is more than one.

Word family

  • pimples
    nounB1
  • pimpled
    adjectiveC1
  • pimply
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All five words describe marks on the skin, but they differ in tone and scope. 'Pimple' is the everyday neutral word for one raised, sore little bump, common during the teenage years. 'Spot' is the most common British equivalent and covers a wider range of small skin marks, not only the inflamed kind. 'Zit' is very informal American slang, often used by teenagers when complaining about their faces; avoid it in writing or formal speech. 'Acne' is different in scope: it names the medical condition that produces many pimples over weeks or months, so you treat acne but you pop a pimple. 'Blemish' is the polite, marketing-style word used in skincare ads for any flaw on the skin. For example: a teenager might groan, 'I've got a giant zit,' while a dermatologist would write that the patient has 'mild acne with several pimples on the cheeks.'

pimple ↗spot ↗zit ↗acne ↗blemish ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • pimple cream
  • pimple scar
  • pimple patch

Phrases

  • covered in pimples
  • break out in pimples
  • pop a pimple
  • squeeze a pimple

Prepositions

  • pimple on [body part]

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

The word 'pimple' has been used in English since around the 1400s for a small swelling on the skin. It is thought to come from an older English root meaning 'to swell' or 'to push out', related to similar small-bump words in older Germanic languages. The medical sense (a raised, inflamed spot linked to acne) developed naturally from this everyday meaning.