Falstaffian

American  

[fawl-staf-ee-uhn] / fɔlˈstæf i ən /

adjective

1. 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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Falstaffian British  

/ fɔːlˈstɑːfɪən /

adjective

1. jovial, plump, and dissolute

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Etymology

Origin of Falstaffian

First recorded in 1800–10; Falstaff + -ian

Example Sentences

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

There’s a lovely and extended homage here to the Falstaffian food writer and historian Josh Ozersky, a friend of Platt’s who died in 2015.

From New York Times • Dec. 9, 2019

The amiable fustian, the Falstaffian bombast of Lucan and Ovid's brilliant imagination, all stamp their indelible seal upon the vivid coloring of Livy, the somewhat affected severity of Sallust, and the elegant morality of Tacitus.

From The Continental Monthly, Vol. 1, No. 3, March, 1862 by Various