corpulent

adjective

cor·​pu·​lent ˈkȯr-pyə-lənt How to pronounce corpulent (audio)
: having a large bulky body : obese
… were a bit corpulent from too many years of privileged living …Thomas Cutler
corpulently adverb

Did you know?

The Duchess of Windsor may have said that you can never be too rich or too thin, but that's a rather modern point of view. In earlier times in Europe, being overweight was considered a sign of wealth and well-being, as demonstrated by the corpulence of many European kings. Still today, corpulence is thought to be superior to thinness in some of the world's cultures. But corpulent and corpulence are less often used than they once were, and we're now probably more likely to say "obese" and "obesity".

Examples of corpulent in a Sentence

a corpulent, elegantly dressed opera singer came out and sang, and we knew it was over
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
All of them follow this corpulent detective, Nero, who lives in a town house with his butler, Fritz. The New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2024 But Beijing’s intent is merely to protect its own citizens, meaning the gangs are shifting their focus towards the corpulent West instead. TIME, 21 Mar. 2024 So does the casting of Martin Short as Kingfish, a corpulent gill-man who lays around like Jabba the Hutt. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 21 Dec. 2023 But as the public elects the most corpulent contender, some will take more than just bulk into consideration. Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Sep. 2023 See all Example Sentences for corpulent 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, borrowed from Latin corpulentus, from corpus "body" + -ulentus "having in quantity, full of" — more at midriff

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of corpulent was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near corpulent

Cite this Entry

“Corpulent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/corpulent. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

corpulent

adjective
cor·​pu·​lent ˈkȯr-pyə-lənt How to pronounce corpulent (audio)
: very fat : obese

Medical Definition

corpulent

adjective
cor·​pu·​lent -lənt How to pronounce corpulent (audio)
: having a large bulky body : obese
corpulently adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on corpulent

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!