pudgy
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- pudgily adverb
- pudginess noun
Etymology
Origin of pudgy
First recorded in 1830–40; origin uncertain
Explanation
To be pudgy is to be chubby and short. Baby piglets are sometimes pudgy, but not the runts. Pudgy can describe body parts, too, like a baby’s pudgy cheeks. When you're pudgy, you're a little overweight and short. Many children are pudgy, though they usually outgrow the baby fat. Being pudgy is often associated with being cute. For example, bulldogs and pugs are pudgy dogs — they have squat, round bodies that are adorable.
Vocabulary lists containing pudgy
Ghost Boys
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Red Kayak
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Lucky Broken Girl
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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.
The pudgy animals known for their relaxed appearance and calm demeanor gained popularity during the postpandemic period of short, serotonin-inducing videos.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026
Yet the pudgy former late-night sidekick is beguiling viewers on the 34th season of “Dancing with the Stars.”
From Salon • Nov. 4, 2025
A kiddie cartoon about a pudgy protagonist voiced by an especially excitable Jack Black?
From Seattle Times • Mar. 7, 2024
It took off a decade ago, when Chinese internet users likened Xi to a pudgy Pooh and President Barack Obama to a lanky Tigger.
From Washington Post • Apr. 11, 2023
Eight or nine other people were scattered around the summit, including one youngish, rather pudgy man on his own in a very new and expensive-looking windcheater.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
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.
