Falstaffian

[ fawl-staf-ee-uhn ]

/ fɔlˈstæf i ən /

Save This Word!

adjective

of, relating to, or having the qualities of Falstaff, especially his robust, bawdy humor, good-natured rascality, and brazen braggadocio: Falstaffian wit.

QUIZ

CUDDLE UP! A COZY QUIZ ON FALL WORDS HAS ARRIVED

If autumn is your ideal season, spice up your repertoire of "fall" vocabulary with this quiz on some warm and vivid descriptive words for the season.

Question 1 of 10

Which of the following words means “to make a crackling sound; crackle”?

crisp

crepitate

fuscous

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

Origin of Falstaffian

First recorded in 1800–10; Falstaff + -ian

Words nearby Falstaffian

falsifiable, falsification, falsify, falsity, Falstaff, Falstaffian, Falster, faltboat, falter, Falun, Falun Gong

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use Falstaffian in a sentence

He was trying to sell the case for military action with the testimonial equivalent of Falstaffian soliloquies.
Syria: What Have We Learned?|Leslie H. Gelb|September 12, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Presently the fattest one, a real Falstaffian man, came back to the front door and rang a thundering peal.
Famous Adventures And Prison Escapes of the Civil War|Various
Behind his almost Falstaffian mask and laugh of Silenus, he carried a fine, broad, and high intelligence which no one questioned.
The Education of Henry Adams|Henry Adams
Mr. Wilson was a local humorist of the Falstaffian stripe, though not so much witty in himself as the cause of wit in others.
The Stillwater Tragedy|Thomas Bailey Aldrich

Some of her suitors were widowers—ancient of days, fat and Falstaffian.
Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great, Volume 7|Elbert Hubbard
Why the hacking of the Falstaffian sword with the Falstaffian dagger?
The Life Of Sir John Falstaff|Robert B. Brough

British Dictionary definitions for Falstaffian

Falstaffian

/ (fɔːlˈstɑːfɪən) /

adjective

jovial, plump, and dissolute

Word Origin for Falstaffian

C19: after Sir John Falstaff, a character in Shakespeare's Henry IV, Parts I–II (1597)

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