overweight
/'ouvəweit/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adjective:
- Weighing more than is considered normal, desirable, or healthy: The word "overweight" describes a person or thing that exceeds a standard or recommended weight. For a person, this often refers to having more body fat than is considered healthy for one's height.
- Exceeding a permitted or standard weight: "Overweight" can also describe an object, such as luggage or a shipment, that weighs more than an allowed limit.
Noun:
- Excessive or extra weight: The state or condition of weighing too much. It refers to the property of having weight above a standard.
- Excess body fat: Specifically, the condition of having more body fat than is considered optimal for health.
Usage and Examples
Adjective:
- The doctor said I am slightly overweight and should exercise more.
- Your suitcase is overweight; you will have to pay an extra fee at the airport.
- He has struggled with being overweight since childhood.
Noun:
- Carrying extra overweight can put a strain on your heart.
- The overweight of the package resulted in higher shipping costs.
Advanced Usage and Nuances
- Clinical vs. Common Use: In medical contexts, "overweight" is a specific classification based on Body Mass Index (BMI), distinct from "obese." In everyday language, it is often used more generally.
- Sensitivity: When describing people, "overweight" is generally considered a more neutral and clinical term than "fat," though context and tone are important.
- "To be overweight": This is the standard phrasing to describe the state.
- The study focused on children who are overweight.
Variants and Related Words
- Overweight (verb, archaic/rare): To outweigh; to be heavier than. (e.g., )
- Overweightness (noun, rare): The state of being overweight.
Synonyms
- Adjective: Heavy, corpulent, stout, portly, chubby, plump.
- Noun: Heaviness, fatness, corpulence, portliness.
Antonyms
- Adjective: Underweight, skinny, thin, slender.
- Noun: Underweight, thinness.
Related Phrases and Collocations
- Morbidly overweight: An older term similar to "morbidly obese," indicating a very high and dangerous level of excess weight.
- Overweight and obesity: A common paired phrase in public health discussions.
- Overweight baggage/luggage: Standard phrase for luggage exceeding airline weight limits.
Adjective
- usually describes a large person who is fat but has a large frame to carry it
Noun
- the property of excessive fatness