obese

[oh-bees]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR obese ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

very fat or overweight; corpulent.

Origin of obese

1645–55; < Latin obēsus (past participle of obedere to eat away), equivalent to ob- ob- + ed(ere) to eat + -tus past participle suffix, with dt > s

Related formso·bese·ly, adverbo·be·si·ty, o·bese·ness, nouno·ver·o·bese, adjectiveo·ver·o·bese·ly, adverbo·ver·o·bese·ness, nounsu·per·o·bese, adjectiveun·o·bese, adjectiveun·o·bese·ly, adverbun·o·bese·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for obese

corpulent, fat, fleshy, gross, heavy, plump, porcine, portly, pudgy, rotund, stout, adipose, avoirdupois, outsize, paunchy

Examples from the Web for obese

Contemporary Examples of obese

Especially in the U.S., where fast food restaurants are abundant and two-thirds of people are overweight or obese.
Orthorexia: When Healthy Eating Becomes an Obsession
DailyBurn
October 25, 2014
In addition, the obese people…were all under a BMI of 35, which may have played a role.
‘Good Poop’ Diet Is the Next Big Thing
Daniela Drake
October 7, 2014
“In the Human Microbiome Project, there were only 24 obese individuals out of 200,” Watson told The Daily Beast.
‘Good Poop’ Diet Is the Next Big Thing
Daniela Drake
October 7, 2014
Indeed, at least one study showed that people who watch the program develop more bias against the obese.
‘The Biggest Loser’ Could Be TV’s Most Important Show Ever
Daniela Drake
September 26, 2014
We might learn enough that we start treating the obese with the compassion they deserve—which may just be the medicine we need.
‘The Biggest Loser’ Could Be TV’s Most Important Show Ever
Daniela Drake
September 26, 2014

Historical Examples of obese

The obese individual jarred against him and fell to the ground.
The Velvet Glove
Harry Harrison
Obese -us: unnaturally distended: usually applied to the abdomen.
Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology
John. B. Smith
As if you did not drive me crazy, you obese, misshapen wine skin!
The Strange Adventures of Mr. Middleton
Wardon Allan Curtis
Gad, how happy he would be to stab a rapier through any one of these obese swine!
Patsy
S. R. Crockett
By this time Ilia Ivanovitch was beginning to become bald and obese.
Life of Elie Metchnikoff, 1845-1916
Olga Metchnikoff

British Dictionary definitions for obese

obese

adjective

excessively fat or fleshy; corpulent

Derived Formsobesity or obeseness, noun

Word Origin for obese

C17: from Latin obēsus, from ob- (intensive) + edere to eat

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

Word Origin and History for obese

adj.

1650s, back-formation from obesity and in part from Latin obesus "fat, stout, plump," past participle of obedere "that has eaten itself fat" (see obesity). According to OED, "Rare before 19th c." Related: Obeseness. Latin obesus was translated in Old English as oferfæt "overfat."

obese in Medicine

obese

[ō-bēs′]

adj.

Extremely fat; very overweight.