pear-shaped
Americanadjective
-
having the shape of a pear; tapering near the top and bulging toward the base or bottom.
a pear-shaped vase.
-
(of a vocal tone) clear, resonant, and without harshness; full-bodied.
Etymology
Origin of pear-shaped
First recorded in 1750–60
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.
The Scottish FA will come under heavy fire for committing to another four years of Clarke if things go pear-shaped in America.
From BBC ● May 28, 2026
Westinghouse built the silver, pear-shaped device in 1937 and it became known as the “world’s first industrial atom smasher.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2025
In February 2022, she was seen wearing a a pear-shaped diamond ring during an appearance on “The Graham Norton Show,” prompting its host to ask if she had remarried.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2023
They are small, pear-shaped insects that come in a variety of colors, from green, red and yellow to black, brown and gray.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 30, 2023
“These are ballistic level-three glass-clad polycarbonate windows, and the bathroom walls are reinforced steel with armor plating. If things go pear-shaped, that’s where you hide.”
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
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.
