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Falstaffian

American

[fawl-staf-ee-uhn] / fɔlˈstæf i ən /

adjective

of, relating to, or having the qualities of Falstaff, especially his robust, bawdy humor, good-natured rascality, and brazen braggadocio.

Falstaffian wit.

Falstaffian British

/ fɔːlˈstɑːfɪən /

adjective

jovial, plump, and dissolute

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Falstaffian

First recorded in 1800–10; Falstaff + -ian

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Memorable figures include the town barber and perpetual bachelor, Jayber Crow, and the Falstaffian 300-pound farmer Ptolemy Proudfoot, who lives happily with his diminutive wife, Miss Minnie.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 23, 2025

It shows a gaunt Corbyn, staring fixedly ahead, alongside a chunky, Falstaffian Johnson, a mischievous smile on his lips.

From The Guardian • Dec. 20, 2019

I truly love this one, starring a Falstaffian father whose child is wearing Hulk hands as they both sit on the kid’s bed during story time.

From Slate • Aug. 29, 2018

As played by the frenetically amusing Siguenza, he's also something of a stand-up comic, commenting on the action with a Falstaffian wit that's been given a fizzy Mexican Spanglish update.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 24, 2014

Aurora, in the vein of funny stories, could upon occasion be Falstaffian.

From Aurora the Magnificent by Brownell, Gertrude Hall

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023