portly

[ pawrt-lee, pohrt- ]
See synonyms for: portlyportliness on Thesaurus.com

adjective,port·li·er, port·li·est.
  1. rather heavy or fat; stout; corpulent.

  2. Archaic. stately, dignified, or imposing.

Origin of portly

1
1520–30; port5 (noun) + -ly

Other words from portly

  • port·li·ness, noun
  • un·port·ly, adjective

Words Nearby portly

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use portly in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for portly

portly

/ (ˈpɔːtlɪ) /


adjective-lier or -liest
  1. stout or corpulent

  2. archaic stately; impressive

Origin of portly

1
C16: from port 5 (in the sense: deportment, bearing)

Derived forms of portly

  • portliness, 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