fleshy
Americanadjective
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having much flesh; plump; fat.
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consisting of or resembling flesh.
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Botany. consisting of fleshlike substance; pulpy, as a fruit; thick and tender, as a succulent leaf.
adjective
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fat; plump
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related to or resembling flesh
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botany (of some fruits, leaves, etc) thick and pulpy
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of fleshy
Middle English word dating back to 1325–75; see origin at flesh, -y 1
Explanation
Something that's fleshy is plump and thick, like the fleshy fruit of a ripe peach or the fleshy leaves of your giant rubber plant. When it's not describing the soft, almost meaty tissue of a plant, the adjective fleshy is most often used for people who are plump or well-padded. While today the word tends to be somewhat derogatory and judgmental, the original meaning of fleshy was simply "consisting of muscle and flesh."
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.
Stick shifts are also slower than their auto-shifted counterparts from 0-60 mph—due to the fleshy, fallible widgets sitting in the driver’s seat.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026
Then one day, as I sat down, the seat broke, and my fleshy cheek seemed to have plunged into the abyss.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 5, 2025
The sweet, fleshy and richly aromatic Alphonso is a prized export from the region, but yields across the districts of Raigad, Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri, where the variety is predominantly grown, are lower, according to Joshi.
From BBC • Mar. 9, 2025
Remarkably, these same species also later feed on the fleshy leaves carrying the seeds, aiding in seed dispersal.
From Science Daily • Dec. 4, 2024
Mr. Habib donated the leather headgear and goggles he had worn as a pilot in the war, to which was attached a red tie belonging to Mr. Lee to simulate the bird’s fleshy nose.
From "In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson" by Bette Bao Lord
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.
