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barrel-chested

American  
[bar-uhl-ches-tid] / ˈbær əlˌtʃɛs tɪd /

adjective

  1. having a broad, prominent chest or thorax.


barrel-chested British  

adjective

  1. having a large rounded chest

"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 barrel-chested

First recorded in 1960–65

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.

See Examples For:

Eventually Rubezhnoy, a barrel-chested fighter, would take over as the head of Putin’s Federal Guards’ Service, Moscow’s equivalent of the Secret Service, a coveted position with proximity to the country’s most powerful man.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026

Bearded and barrel-chested, Abascal always wears suits while attending Parliament.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 19, 2023

Pilates is a method of low-impact training developed by Joseph Pilates, a stocky, barrel-chested guy, that uses bodyweight and resistance to build both strength and flexibility.

From Slate ● Jul. 8, 2023

It’s a refreshing update to Shakespeare’s hormonal teens, and the proud, barrel-chested Disney princes of yore.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 14, 2023

Then there’s Mrs. Kluckowski, short and barrel-chested, wearing a brown blouse and a plaid skirt that reaches almost down to her puffy ankles.

From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

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