Falstaffian

[ fawl-staf-ee-uhn ]

/ fɔlˈstæf i ən /

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Definition of Falstaffian

adjective

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

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Origin of Falstaffian

First recorded in 1800–10; Falstaff + -ian

Words nearby Falstaffian

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

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