paunchy

[ pawn-chee, pahn- ]

See synonyms for: paunchy paunchiness on Thesaurus.com

adjective,paunch·i·er, paunch·i·est.

having a large and protruding belly; potbellied: a paunchy middle-aged man.

Origin of paunchy

First recorded in 1590–1600; paunch + -y¹

Other words from paunchy

paunch·i·ness, noun

Words Nearby paunchy

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use paunchy in a sentence

One of his captors was the paunchy man, and his hands were heavy and his fingers gripped viciously.
The Landloper | Holman Day
A paunchy boss with underset jaw and overhanging upper lip was profanely urging his helpers back to their jobs.
The Landloper | Holman Day
His pantaloons were short, his figure was paunchy, authoritative and German.
Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science, Vol. 12, No. 32, November, 1873 | Various
I was ashamed of sponging on paunchy, and could not bring myself to come back to the saloon where he would willingly have fed me.
Shandygaff | Christopher Morley
It was by mere exaggeration of certain not uncommon features that the figure of this paunchy dwarf was arrived at.
A History of Art in Ancient Egypt, Vol. II (of 2) | Georges Perrot

British Dictionary definitions for paunchy

paunchy

/ (ˈpɔːntʃɪ) /

adjective-ier or -iest

having a protruding belly or abdomen

Derived forms of paunchy

paunchiness, noun

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

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