Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

cellulite

American  
[sel-yuh-lahyt, -leet] / ˈsɛl yəˌlaɪt, -ˌlit /

noun

  1. lumpy fat deposits, especially in the thighs and buttocks.

cellulite British  
/ ˈsɛljʊˌlaɪt /

noun

  1. a name sometimes given to subcutaneous fat alleged to resist dieting

"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
cellulite Cultural  

  1. A popular term for fat that is difficult to remove by dieting and that often has a dimpled appearance. There is no physiological difference between cellulite and ordinary fat.

Etymology

Origin of cellulite

First recorded in 1970–75; from French: literally, “formation of fatty deposits under the skin,” originally, “cellulitis,” equivalent to cellule cell + -ite “-itis” (a suffix indicating inflammation) but taken in English as -ite 1 (a suffix indicating part of the body); cellule, -itis, -ite 1

Compare meaning

How does cellulite compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

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.

He cited the cellulite butter, a moisturizer that is supposed to help reduce the bumps and ripples on skin created by cellulite.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 14, 2025

Some claimed GPs dismissed symptoms as a "severe bout of cellulite", "growing pains", obesity and arthritis.

From BBC • Feb. 18, 2025

Anyone standing next to me would have seen flat abs, slim thighs; to me, the reflection still showed cellulite and chubby cheeks.

From Slate • Jul. 20, 2024

Sitting in the aromatherapy sauna at Olympic Spa, I realized how normal I suddenly looked: somewhere between one breast size and another, with some cellulite and scar tissue matched by some and not others.

From Salon • May 6, 2023

He pressed a pump that dispensed cellulite gel and massaged it into the back of his ungloved hand.

From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri

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.