Definition

Adjective: 1. Swollen or thick with fat; having an excess of soft body fat. This describes flesh or a body part that is noticeably plump, flabby, or obese, often with a connotation of being soft and loose. 2. Resembling or characteristic of blubber (the thick layer of fat under the skin of marine mammals). This usage implies a similar texture or appearance—thick, oily, and gelatinous.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • The chef's hands were blubbery from years of rich eating. (This describes hands swollen with fat.)
  • He had a blubbery chin that wobbled when he talked. (This describes a chin thick with soft fat.)
  • The description of the villain as a "blubbery individual" was meant to be unflattering. (This describes a person with a coarse, fat physique.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in a descriptive, and sometimes derogatory, manner to emphasize excessive, untoned fat. It carries a stronger, more vivid image than simply saying "fat" or "overweight."
• It can be used metaphorically to describe something that feels or looks excessively soft, thick, and unappealing, though this is less common.
  • The mattress had a blubbery feel that offered no support. (This metaphorically compares the feel to soft, thick fat.)

Variants and Related Words

• Blubber (noun): The thick layer of fat under the skin of whales, seals, and other marine mammals.
• Blubber (verb): To cry noisily and uncontrollably.
• Blubberiness (noun, rare): The state or quality of being blubbery.

Synonyms

• Fatty: Containing a lot of fat.
• Flabby: Soft, loose, and fleshy; lacking firmness.
• Obese: Grossly fat or overweight.
• Corpulent: (Formal) Having a large, bulky body.
• Fleshy: Having much flesh; plump.

Antonyms

• Lean: Having little fat; thin and fit.
• Skinny: Very thin.
• Gaunt: Extremely thin and bony, often from hunger or illness.
• Svelte: Slender and elegant.

Adjective

1. swollen with fat
   • blubber cheeks
   • blubber lips
   • a coarse blubbery individual