portly

[pawrt-lee, pohrt-]

See more synonyms for portly on Thesaurus.com

adjective, port·li·er, port·li·est.

rather heavy or fat; stout; corpulent.
Archaic. stately, dignified, or imposing.

Origin of portly

1520–30; port⁵ (noun) + -ly

Related formsport·li·ness, nounun·port·ly, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for portly

Contemporary Examples

How many Benny Hill scenes involved the creepy, portly man zooming about perilously near an unfathomably stacked woman?
Women, It's Time to Reclaim Our Breasts
Emily Shire
September 9, 2014
The portly, balding Sabah, a father of two, glances nervously at the television.
The Tragic Exodus of Iraq’s Christians
Jamie Dettmer
June 22, 2014
A moment later I saw my scowling taxi driver darting toward the ticket booth with a companion, a portly man in a checked shirt.
I Got Arrested by the Secret Police
Khalid Ali
September 17, 2011
From Alec “The Bloviator” Baldwin to “portly pepperpot” Monica Lewinsky, revisit his chief rogue targets.
Page Six's Biggest Feuds
Jacob Bernstein
October 8, 2010

Historical Examples

A portly burgher was he, friendly of tongue and free of purse.
The Armourer's Prentices
Charlotte M. Yonge
The consciousness of acres had passed away from his portly presence.
Night and Morning, Complete
Edward Bulwer-Lytton
I dug my heels into the mule's belly and pushed on, the portly cleric at my side.
The Strolling Saint
Raphael Sabatini
A matronly woman, of portly dimensions, met them in the hallway.
The Spoilers of the Valley
Robert Watson
He went up to Mr. Gilbert, a portly man in the back part of the store.
The Cash Boy
Horatio Alger Jr.

British Dictionary definitions for portly

portly

adjective -lier or -liest

stout or corpulent
archaic stately; impressive

Derived Formsportliness, noun

Word Origin

C16: from port 5 (in the sense: deportment, bearing)

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 portly

adj.

early 15c., "stately, dignified," from port (n.3) "bearing, carriage" + -ly (1). Meaning "stout" is first recorded 1590s.

portly

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}portly

Examples from the Web for portly

Contemporary Examples

How many Benny Hill scenes involved the creepy, portly man zooming about perilously near an unfathomably stacked woman?

The portly, balding Sabah, a father of two, glances nervously at the television.

A moment later I saw my scowling taxi driver darting toward the ticket booth with a companion, a portly man in a checked shirt.

From Alec “The Bloviator” Baldwin to “portly pepperpot” Monica Lewinsky, revisit his chief rogue targets.

Historical Examples

A portly burgher was he, friendly of tongue and free of purse.

The consciousness of acres had passed away from his portly presence.

I dug my heels into the mule's belly and pushed on, the portly cleric at my side.

A matronly woman, of portly dimensions, met them in the hallway.

He went up to Mr. Gilbert, a portly man in the back part of the store.

portly

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for portly

adj.

Origin of portly