as in stout
being compact and broad in build and often short in stature
a short, thickset bulldog
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Recent Examples of thickset
The thickset Armand Assante was a phlegmatic Odysseus, but Greta Scacchi, as Penelope—who has so little to say in the poem—became the physical embodiment of anger, and Isabella Rossellini was a teasing Athena.
—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
21 June 2026
Even though thickset Mandarin characters on every wall extolled the virtues of the Chinese Dream, Xi Jinping's campaign to rejuvenate Chinese nationalism, the town had a frontier feel, as if Beijing's hawkeyed gaze hadn't yet crept over the moonscape mountains.
—
Chris Schalkx,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 Feb. 2025
The passenger door opened and a thickset man with a short beard and mustache got out.
—
Jamie Quatro,
Harper's Magazine,
2 Aug. 2024
There’s a thickset dashboard dotted with prominent air vents and a thick, smooth center section that connects the door panels.
—
Andrew Wendler,
Car and Driver,
8 Aug. 2023
And, with two big interior pockets, protective metal feet, and thickset handles, your luggage can accommodate everything this lifestyle entails.
—
Irene Richardson,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2023
The thickset prison administrator, known as Bawar to his friends, had been keenly aware that the prison was vulnerable to assault.
—
Washington Post,
5 Feb. 2022
The hotel's two restaurants, an offshoot of the Beefbar, and Biancaneve, are awash with more banquettes upholstered in colorful cozy fabrics arranged around thickset wood tables, a nod to the hotel's Alpine location.
—
Rooksana Hossenally,
Forbes,
31 Jan. 2022
Julia's grandmother Zora was short and thickset and typical of the women of her generation in that her days consisted of brief breaks between cooking and cleaning—if not grocery shopping or preparing a meal, she could be found scrubbing the Khrushchyovka apartment with great fa- naticism.
—
Ew Staff,
EW.com,
4 May 2021
David Denby,
New Yorker,
21 June 2026
Even though thickset Mandarin characters on every wall extolled the virtues of the Chinese Dream, Xi Jinping's campaign to rejuvenate Chinese nationalism, the town had a frontier feel, as if Beijing's hawkeyed gaze hadn't yet crept over the moonscape mountains.
—
Chris Schalkx,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 Feb. 2025
The passenger door opened and a thickset man with a short beard and mustache got out.
—
Jamie Quatro,
Harper's Magazine,
2 Aug. 2024
There’s a thickset dashboard dotted with prominent air vents and a thick, smooth center section that connects the door panels.
—
Andrew Wendler,
Car and Driver,
8 Aug. 2023
And, with two big interior pockets, protective metal feet, and thickset handles, your luggage can accommodate everything this lifestyle entails.
—
Irene Richardson,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2023
The thickset prison administrator, known as Bawar to his friends, had been keenly aware that the prison was vulnerable to assault.
—
Washington Post,
5 Feb. 2022
The hotel's two restaurants, an offshoot of the Beefbar, and Biancaneve, are awash with more banquettes upholstered in colorful cozy fabrics arranged around thickset wood tables, a nod to the hotel's Alpine location.
—
Rooksana Hossenally,
Forbes,
31 Jan. 2022
Julia's grandmother Zora was short and thickset and typical of the women of her generation in that her days consisted of brief breaks between cooking and cleaning—if not grocery shopping or preparing a meal, she could be found scrubbing the Khrushchyovka apartment with great fa- naticism.
—
Ew Staff,
EW.com,
4 May 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thickset
Adjective
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Saddleback Caterpillar has a stout, brown body about an inch long with a bright green rectangle and an oval saddle marking on its back.
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Turning its back on views of the Santa Rita Mountains, the home’s interior revolved around a dim central kitchen and an awkward sunken garden bounded by stout masonry columns that held up the roof but restricted movement through the space.
Adjective
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The adults are about 5 to 10 pounds with stocky, thick bodies, short ears, short legs, and a bushy tail.
-
Maisie is about 40 pounds, with a stocky build and a French bulldog face.
Adjective
-
That observation eventually led to the discovery of Pitera, the brand's now-iconic ferment; this sheet mask is absolutely drenched in it to nourish and plump skin with amino acids, vitamins, and minerals.
-
Amazon shoppers say the $22 Kahi Wrinkle Bounce Multi-Balm leaves their skin hydrated and plump.
Adjective
-
Be sure to cover your head and neck with your arms, and crawl under a sturdy table if possible.
-
While linen and silk are light and airy, some occasions call for a sturdier yet equally breathable option.
Adjective
-
Measuring less than a millimeter thick, this sensor basically acts like a neuron in our brain, processing and keeping the information even after the original signal is gone.
-
ZDNet Korea also reported that the Wide Fold uses 60μm ultra-thin glass on its inner display, 30% thicker than the 45μm used on the Z Fold 8 Ultra.
Adjective
-
The suspect was heavyset and walked with a unique gait, feet splayed apart, as seen in the surveillance video.
-
Born into a working-class family, Golubski was a heavyset man who had considered becoming a priest before entering the police force.
Cite this Entry
“Thickset.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thickset. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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