physique
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of physique
1820–30; < French < Latin physicus. See physic
Explanation
Physique is a word used to describe the form or shape of the human body. If you have a buff physique, you’re in great shape. Well done. Physique, pronounced "fiz-eek,” is from French for “physical.” Someone with a muscular physique has been getting physical in the gym. Everyone has a physique (except ghosts) but the word often refers to a muscular or well-sculpted body. Sometimes people who train for events like marathons or body-building competitions like to take pictures of their physiques before and after.
Vocabulary lists containing physique
And Then There Were None
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English Words Derived from French, List 4
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Dumplin'
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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.
Some stores shield themselves from liability for a bride’s changing physique with the sort of waivers that Hamilton, the New York product designer, signed when she purchased her too-small, hand-beaded gown.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 25, 2026
The lithe physique of the rubber man of tennis enabled him to chase down seemingly lost causes and he combined a brutally efficient game with a rock-solid defence.
From Barron's • Jan. 31, 2026
That's a contrast to most stadium concerts, where the message is more like: "Look upon me, puny mortals, and be astonished by my divine talents and somewhat improbable physique."
From BBC • Sep. 12, 2025
The unveiling of his new physique included Judge giving him a game-used bat and a pair of his Air Jordan 1 Low cleats.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 30, 2025
McCandless was smallish with the hard, stringy physique of an itinerant laborer.
From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
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.
