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round-shouldered

American  
[round-shohl-derd, -shohl-] / ˈraʊndˈʃoʊl dərd, -ˌʃoʊl- /

adjective

  1. having the shoulders bent forward, giving a rounded form to the upper part of the back.


round-shouldered British  

adjective

  1. denoting a faulty posture characterized by drooping shoulders and a slight forward bending of the back

"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

Etymology

Origin of round-shouldered

First recorded in 1580–90

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.

See Examples For:

The show opened with a statement piece: a brown round-shouldered coat that was both loose and indicative of the new direction Trotter is steering Carven towards.

From Seattle Times Mar. 2, 2024

Ruffalo, in his round-shouldered, restrained performance, seemed to have uncannily captured Bilott’s trout-lipped solitude, a standoffishness that made him seem permanently braced.

From The New Yorker Nov. 4, 2019

His company has grown, he said, because of the innovative design of its two-piece, round-shouldered can, which can be manufactured more efficiently.

From Reuters Jun. 14, 2019

My favorite was a skinny, sallow, round-shouldered 21-year-old from Astoria named John Pappas.

From New York Times Feb. 20, 2012

He was thirty, or nigh unto, round-shouldered and kettle-bellied, but richly dressed in a doublet of soft grey lambswool trimmed in cloth-of-silver.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

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