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

For a performer who was so comfortably Falstaffian, Gambon was remarkably supple in his emotional range, moving from tyrannical to tender with breathtaking ease.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 20, 2023

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

I truly love this one, starring a Falstaffian father whose child is wearing Hulk hands as they both sit on the kid’s bed during story time.

From Slate • Aug. 29, 2018

No man had a more delicate or subtle wit than Prentiss, or a more Falstaffian humor when it suited his purpose.

From International Weekly Miscellany - Volume 1, No. 9, August 26, 1850 by Various

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