corpulent
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of corpulent
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin corpulentus, equivalent to corp ( us ) body + -ulentus -ulent
Explanation
Corpulent is a formal word that describes someone who is very overweight. You might describe Santa Claus as a corpulent man with a ruddy complexion and a jolly grin. There are certainly many other ways to describe an overweight person: obese, portly, and stout are only a few. Corpulent is from Latin corpulentus, from corpus "body." The Latin suffix -ulentus, corresponding to English -ulent, has the meaning "full of, having in quantity."
Vocabulary lists containing corpulent
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Lord of the Flies
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Body Language: Corp ("Body")
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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.
Colombian artist Fernando Botero, who gained worldwide fame with his sculptures and paintings of corpulent figures, has died at the age of 91.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2023
Resurrected in this corpulent display, Crowe might transform Ailes into the bad guy of the summer; he certainly spent as much time in a makeup chair as your average villain in a superhero blockbuster.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 12, 2019
“Autobiography of a Brown Buffalo” opens with a poignant scene in which Acosta stands in front of a mirror and examines his naked, corpulent body.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 21, 2018
Instead Mr. Sinton wrings his corpulent instrument for its full range of values: toneless smears; soul-baring swells; chomping, roughed-up blasts.
From New York Times ● Sep. 22, 2017
Then as the blue material of the parachute collapsed the corpulent figure would bow forward, sighing, and the flies settle once more.
From "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding
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.
