tubby

American  

[tuhb-ee] / ˈtʌb i /

adjective

tubbier, tubbiest

1. short and fat.

   a tubby child.

2. having a dull, thumping sound; lacking resonance.

---

tubby British  

/ ˈtʌbɪ /

adjective

1. plump

2. shaped like a tub

3. rare having little resonance

---

Other Word Forms

• tubbiness noun

Etymology

Origin of tubby

First recorded in 1800–10; tub + -y ¹

Explanation

To be tubby is to be round and plump, and maybe a bit on the short side. Many cartoon characters, including Porky Pig, Garfield, and Homer Simpson, are a little tubby. The informal noun tubby is usually used to describe a person, and as a result it's almost always offensive — it's just generally bad form to comment on the shape of someone's body! You might, however, describe your plump little kitten as tubby or mold a tubby figure out of clay. Tubby, thought to come from "shaped like a tub," has been in use since the 1890s.

Example Sentences

Diving in a kelp forest in Monterey Bay recently, I watched a tubby 200-pound harbor seal follow a fellow diver, nibbling on his flippers.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 16, 2025

Of all the things to say about Gaetz … tubby?

From Slate • Apr. 18, 2024

Throughout their journey, they’re beset by weird creatures familiar to “D&D” players: a tubby fire-breathing dragon and a beast called an owlbear.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 28, 2023

“One or two of them are quite tubby and got stuck at the bottom,” says Peter.

From The Guardian • Oct. 17, 2020

Unfortunately, though, being the tubby daughter of Clover City’s most cherished beauty queen doesn’t win me much street cred.

From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy