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

Was this what led Hector to prowl all over Washington, drowning his sorrows in canine revelry, or did Hector’s Falstaffian excesses force Mrs. Cleveland’s hand?

From Slate • Jan. 31, 2021

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

Even flat on his back, he cut a shockingly large, Falstaffian figure.

From New York Times • Dec. 4, 2019

Yet he contains the Falstaffian elements and preciously preserves them.

From A Novelist on Novels by George, Walter Lionel

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