corpulent
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of corpulent
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin corpulentus, equivalent to corp ( us ) body + -ulentus -ulent
Explanation
Corpulent is a formal word that describes someone who is very overweight. You might describe Santa Claus as a corpulent man with a ruddy complexion and a jolly grin. There are certainly many other ways to describe an overweight person: obese, portly, and stout are only a few. Corpulent is from Latin corpulentus, from corpus "body." The Latin suffix -ulentus, corresponding to English -ulent, has the meaning "full of, having in quantity."
Vocabulary lists containing corpulent
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Lord of the Flies
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Body Language: Corp ("Body")
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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.
In a 1926 strip, we meet Skinny Slats, an ironically corpulent lad who squeezes out of an inkwell.
From New York Times ● Jun. 4, 2024
Colombian artist Fernando Botero, who gained worldwide fame with his sculptures and paintings of corpulent figures, has died at the age of 91.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2023
In his sweeping 1965 novel “Dune,” Herbert introduced one for the ages: a corpulent, power-hungry sadist with the suitably sinister name of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2021
We’d eat at a table next to a mural of a corpulent iguana wearing sunglasses and a sombrero.
From Washington Post ● May 15, 2019
She watched a corpulent man beside her pull out a gold coin from a purse on his hip that looked to be near bursting.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
