1
as in plump
having an excess of body fat
a portly gentleman who loved to cook for his family and friends
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2
as in imposing
having or showing a formal and serious or reserved manner
walked with the portly grace of the grande dame that she was
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Recent Examples of portly
One day, Lem held forth about H. G. Wells and Jules Verne to a portly man who turned out to run a publishing house.
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Caleb Crain, The New Yorker, 10 Jan. 2022
Boyega had suggested a portly version of the young Sidney Poitier crossed with the facile charisma of the young Denzel Washington.
—Armond White, National Review, 18 Aug. 2021
He was locked away to serve several life sentences, aging into a portly man with a thick white beard.
—New York Times, 13 June 2021
One of my favorite shots is of a portly man in a business suit, rubbing his hands together over and over, in an age-old gesture of distress.
—Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2020
See all Example Sentences for portly 
Caleb Crain, The New Yorker, 10 Jan. 2022
Boyega had suggested a portly version of the young Sidney Poitier crossed with the facile charisma of the young Denzel Washington.
—Armond White, National Review, 18 Aug. 2021
He was locked away to serve several life sentences, aging into a portly man with a thick white beard.
—New York Times, 13 June 2021
One of my favorite shots is of a portly man in a business suit, rubbing his hands together over and over, in an age-old gesture of distress.
—Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2020
See all Example Sentences for portly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portly
Adjective
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But instead of the dry, flaky mattes of our youth, these go on buttery soft and manage to cushion lips in peptides, hyaluronic acid, and botanical extracts for a hydrated, plump pout.Kiana Murden, Vogue, 1 Nov. 2024
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Most memorably are the mayor, depicted as a plump Caucasian male who performs Jackson’s famous kick, and the skeleton who dances Jackson’s iconic moonwalk.Ime Ekpo, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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The most imposing constructions, hidden by nature, towered above the tree canopy.Anna Lagos, WIRED, 2 Nov. 2024
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The Foundling certainly sounds like a more imposing leader in the long term than the country’s autocrat-of-the-day, right?Scott Tobias, Vulture, 17 Mar. 2024
Adjective
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Here are the seven simple and effective ways to drop unwanted body fat.Fred Sassani, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
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Salt, fat, formic acid, heat In the new study, the team describes making spaghetti that is only 372 nanometres across.Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 21 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Rabinovich, a distinguished Israeli historian of the modern Middle… The War for Lebanon, 1970-1983 This is partly a history of Lebanon's breakdown and civil war, partly a study of why and how Israel went to war in 1982.Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 12 Nov. 2024
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For his distinguished service, Sumter awarded Ali land.Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Along with their distinctive, large black eye patches, giant pandas have short limbs and round bodies.Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 6 Nov. 2024
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In the grand tradition of Pink Floyd, a round screen hovered above the stage for film reels and closeups of musicians.Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near portly
Cite this Entry
“Portly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portly. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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