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Synonyms

protuberant

American  
[proh-too-ber-uhnt, -tyoo-, pruh-] / proʊˈtu bər ənt, -ˈtyu-, prə- /

adjective

  1. bulging out beyond the surrounding surface; protruding; projecting.

    protuberant eyes.


protuberant British  
/ prəˈtjuːbərənt /

adjective

  1. swelling out from the surrounding surface; bulging

"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

Other Word Forms

  • nonprotuberant adjective
  • nonprotuberantly adverb
  • protuberance noun
  • protuberantly adverb
  • unprotuberant adjective
  • unprotuberantly adverb

Etymology

Origin of protuberant

1640–50; < Late Latin prōtūberant- (stem of prōtūberāns ), present participle of prōtūberāre to swell. See pro- 1, tuber 1, -ant

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.

The bumps push out candy-striped and aproned gowns; they are exaggerated by belted waists, and one particularly protuberant tummy doubles as a perch for a parakeet.

From Slate • Jul. 21, 2025

They’re absolute eye candy, the kind of bud that does it for the ’Gram — great pops of frilly color, their protuberant, pollen-gilded anthers sticking out like … well, exactly what they are.

From Washington Post • Feb. 3, 2022

He has a long face and long, wavy brown hair parted at the crest; his chin is protuberant and cratered by a dimple the size of Chicxulub.

From The New Yorker • Apr. 15, 2019

The reason was that Baartman, also known as Sara or Saartjie, had steatopygia, a genetic condition resulting in extremely protuberant buttocks due to a build-up of fat.

From BBC • Jan. 6, 2016

He was a monstrous man, with a mane of greasy gray hair, his face pouched and seamed, with protuberant lips.

From "1984" by George Orwell