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Synonyms

physique

American  
[fi-zeek] / fɪˈzik /

noun

  1. physical or bodily structure, appearance, or development.

    the physique of an athlete.
physique British  
/ fɪˈziːk /

noun

  1. the general appearance of the body with regard to size, shape, muscular development, etc

"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 physique

1820–30; < French < Latin physicus. See physic

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.

Even though he's nine inches shorter than the famously tall star, producers considered Ponomari's physique similar enough to cast him as a double.

From BBC • Mar. 3, 2026

The lithe physique of the rubber man of tennis enabled him to chase down seemingly lost causes and he combined a brutally efficient game with a rock-solid defence.

From Barron's • Jan. 31, 2026

Then there was World War II. Given Cooper’s eye injury and poor physique, he made for an unpromising soldier.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 10, 2025

His catchphrases — “Eat your vitamins and say your prayers, brother!” — his finishing move, the big leg drop, and his larger-than-life persona and physique played a central, if not indispensable, role in this story.

From Salon • Jul. 27, 2025

Seaborg joined with Joseph Kennedy, a newly appointed chemistry instructor with the gangly physique of a scarecrow and a gentle drawl that proclaimed his North Texas origins, and brought the plan to Ernest.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.