fleshly
Americanadjective
-
of or relating to the flesh or body; bodily, corporeal, or physical.
-
carnal; sensual.
fleshly pleasures.
-
worldly, rather than spiritual.
-
having a sensuous quality.
the fleshly poetry of the 17th century.
-
Obsolete. having much flesh; fleshy.
adjective
-
relating to the body, esp its sensual nature; carnal
fleshly desire
-
worldly as opposed to spiritual
-
fleshy; fat
Synonym Usage
See carnal.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of fleshly
before 900; Middle English; Old English flǣsclic. See flesh, -ly
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.
In early Christianity, spiritual warfare meant one was to resist the Devil by engaging in forms of ascetic behavior, mastering fleshly desires, and cultivating Christian virtues like humility, self-control, and love of enemies.
From Salon ● Jan. 31, 2024
Two weeks prior to “Subspace Rhapsody,” they aired a crossover with the animated spinoff “Star Trek: Lower Decks,” in which cartoon characters became flesh and fleshly characters cartoons.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2023
“There were some fleshly remains and the odor was so foul,” the villager said.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 29, 2021
In the news stories and legal opinions that followed Mr. Bourgeois’s conviction and subsequent death sentence, JaKaren’s suffering is vivid, palpable, fleshly.
From New York Times ● Dec. 17, 2020
“His name shall be in their foreheads”—no longer only written in fleshly tables of the heart and partially visible in the character, but stamped legibly and completely on life and nature.
From The Expositor's Bible: Colossians and Philemon by Maclaren, Alexander
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.
