Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

waistline

American  
[weyst-lahyn] / ˈweɪstˌlaɪn /

noun

  • waistlines
    plural
  1. the circumference of the body at the waist.

    exercises to reduce the waistline.

  2. the part of a garment that lies at or near the natural waistline, as the seam where the skirt and bodice of a dress are joined.

  3. an imaginary line encircling the waist.


waistline British  
/ ˈweɪstˌlaɪn /

noun

  1. a line or indentation around the body at the narrowest part of the waist

  2. the intersection of the bodice and the skirt of a dress, etc, or the level of this

    a low waistline

"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

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of waistline

First recorded in 1895–1900; waist + line 1

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:

Many people notice a familiar change as they get older: the waistline gradually expands, even when overall body weight does not change dramatically.

From Science Daily Jun. 27, 2026

Hamilton said her shrinking waistline is driven by an overall desire to be healthier, and while it has made dress shopping more complicated, it hasn’t taken away from the excitement of the hunt.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 25, 2026

Fury simply laughs at the speculation, trusting his own training and strength to power through any challenge, no matter the measure of his waistline.

From Seattle Times May 17, 2024

The evidence suggests that it will help with my waistline and my weight so I'll put up with the sour taste for a while longer.

From Salon Apr. 11, 2024

Of him touching my back fat and my overflowing waistline, it makes me want to gag.

From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy

Investors could keep falling back in love with drug companies in 2026, regardless of what they do for waistlines.

From The Wall Street Journal Jan. 6, 2026

The results revealed that the participants who followed the calorie-reduced diet and exercise plan not only reduced their diabetes risk but also lost more weight and trimmed more from their waistlines.

From Science Daily Oct. 12, 2025

After all, the search for a solution to expanding waistlines has eluded successive governments since the early 1990s.

From BBC Oct. 15, 2024

A waitress told The Times that the cook in charge of the Italian beef sandwiches being served was trained at Portillo’s, the Chicago-based restaurant chain responsible for many of the expanded waistlines in the city.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 22, 2024

"Do you think the laws should adjust, and allow for smaller waistlines?"

From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 12,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training