pooch out
Definition
- Verb:
- To protrude or bulge outward, often in a rounded manner.
- To cause something to stick out or swell.
- (Specific usage) To round one's lips outward, as if intending to kiss.
Usage
- This verb is typically used to describe a part of something (like fabric, a surface, or a body part) that bulges or protrudes in a soft, rounded way. It is often used in informal contexts.
- It can be used both transitively (with a direct object) and intransitively (without a direct object).
Examples
- Intransitive use:
- The cushion had pooched out in the middle from years of use.
- Her cheeks pooch out when she blows air into them.
- Transitive use (less common):
- He pooched out his lips to show his disapproval.
- Specific lip-rounding use:
- The baby pooched out her lips, ready for a kiss.
Advanced Usage
- "to pooch out one's lips/cheeks": This is a set phrase describing the specific facial action of pushing the lips or cheeks forward to create a rounded, pouting, or kissing shape.
- She pooched out her lips in a thoughtful pout.
Variants and Related Words
- Pooch (verb, informal): The base form, meaning to bulge or protrude.
- The fabric will pooch if you don't sew it tightly.
- Protrude (verb): A more formal synonym for sticking out.
- Bulge (verb): To swell or curve outward.
- Pout (verb): To push one's lips or bottom lip forward, especially to show annoyance or in a seductive manner. (This is a close synonym for the specific lip action of "pooch out").
Synonyms
- Bulge out
- Pouch out
- Protrude
- Pout (for the lip action)
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Puff out: To swell or cause to swell. Often used interchangeably with "pooch out" for cheeks or lips.
- He puffed out his chest with pride.
- Stick out: To extend beyond a surface. Less specific about the rounded shape.
- The nail is sticking out of the board.
Related Idioms
- Make a moue: To pout or make a grimace by protruding the lips. This is a more literary or formal way to describe a similar action to "pooch out one's lips."
- She made a moue of disappointment when she heard the news.
Verb
-
round one's lips as if intending to kiss
