Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Short and plump; somewhat fat in a soft, rounded way: Describes a person or body part that is noticeably chubby or stout, often with a connotation of being soft and rounded rather than muscular or lean.

Usage

• The adjective "podgy" is typically used to describe a person's overall build or specific body parts (like fingers, cheeks, or arms). It is more common in British English than American English. It can be neutral but may sometimes carry a mildly informal or gentle critical tone.

Examples

• Describing a person:
  • After the holidays, he looked a bit podgy around the middle.
  • The podgy toddler waddled across the room.
• Describing body parts:
  • She had podgy fingers that struggled with the tiny buttons.
  • He pinched his podgy cheeks playfully.

Advanced Usage

• Comparative and Superlative Forms: "podgier", "podgiest".
  • Of the two puppies, the one with the shorter legs was podgier.
  • He was the podgiest baby in the family photos.

Variants and Related Words

• Podginess (noun): The state or quality of being podgy.
  • His general podginess was due to a love of pastries.

Synonyms

• Chubby: Slightly fat in a pleasant, attractive way (often used for children).
• Plump: Having a full, rounded shape; slightly fat.
• Rotund: Round or spherical in shape; often a more formal or polite term for fat.
• Stout: Somewhat fat and heavy in build.
• Tubby: Informal for short and fat.

Antonyms

• Skinny: Very thin.
• Slender: Gracefully thin.
• Slim: Thin in an attractive way.
• Gaunt: Very thin, often because of illness or hunger.

Adjective

1. short and plump