as in obesity
the condition of having an excess of body fat
the doctor warned that the patient's corpulence was unhealthy and not merely unattractive
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Recent Examples of corpulence
As president, George H.W. Bush compared his dog, Ranger, to a blimp in a playful memo to White House staff noting a need to curb doggie treats because of canine corpulence.
—
Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 5 Sep. 2025
Whimsy was also the domain of the Colombian painter and sculptor Fernando Botero, whose signature was a race of voluptuously bloated figures — denizens, from priests to bullfighters, of an almost cartoonish world that, to him, had to do not with corpulence but with the sensuality of human life.
—William McDonald, New York Times, 28 Dec. 2023
Twelve bears started in the celebration of corpulence on September 29 before the final online showdown Tuesday.
—CNN, 5 Oct. 2021
In order to support a pair of cubs and reach peak corpulence, Grazer didn’t shy away from battles for the best spots on Brooks River, even against much larger male bears, according to the Park’s video.
—Theresa MacHemer, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Sep. 2020
His striking physical resemblance to his grandfather, channeling his clothing, gait and corpulence, secured his place as the latest iteration of the country’s preordained leadership.
—Victoria Kim, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2020
Over his career, the uber-producer has explored aging, poverty, addiction, corpulence, single parenthood, neurodivergence and other experiences that can leave a person in the margins of American life.
—Robyn Bahr, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Sep. 2019
The Superintendent of Criminal Investigations, Hideo Nishimura, was tall and even-featured and had probably been handsome in his youth, but the years at the desk showed in his growing corpulence and a certain slowness in breaking inertia.
—Andrew Liptak, The Verge, 8 Dec. 2018
Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 5 Sep. 2025
Whimsy was also the domain of the Colombian painter and sculptor Fernando Botero, whose signature was a race of voluptuously bloated figures — denizens, from priests to bullfighters, of an almost cartoonish world that, to him, had to do not with corpulence but with the sensuality of human life.
—William McDonald, New York Times, 28 Dec. 2023
Twelve bears started in the celebration of corpulence on September 29 before the final online showdown Tuesday.
—CNN, 5 Oct. 2021
In order to support a pair of cubs and reach peak corpulence, Grazer didn’t shy away from battles for the best spots on Brooks River, even against much larger male bears, according to the Park’s video.
—Theresa MacHemer, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Sep. 2020
His striking physical resemblance to his grandfather, channeling his clothing, gait and corpulence, secured his place as the latest iteration of the country’s preordained leadership.
—Victoria Kim, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2020
Over his career, the uber-producer has explored aging, poverty, addiction, corpulence, single parenthood, neurodivergence and other experiences that can leave a person in the margins of American life.
—Robyn Bahr, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Sep. 2019
The Superintendent of Criminal Investigations, Hideo Nishimura, was tall and even-featured and had probably been handsome in his youth, but the years at the desk showed in his growing corpulence and a certain slowness in breaking inertia.
—Andrew Liptak, The Verge, 8 Dec. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for corpulence
Noun
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For example, obesity induces chronic fat inflammation, which subsequently leads to systemic inflammation and perturbs the normal systemic metabolism.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
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Some causes of osteoarthritis include injury, preexisting joint disease, specific metabolic diseases such as obesity or type 2 diabetes, and genetics.—
Gina Park,
CNN Money,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Besides hunger, other factors such as stress, sleep, medications, pregnancy, weight changes, and health conditions can change appetite.—
Merve Ceylan,
Health,
26 Oct. 2025
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Shoes in this collection feature the brand’s proprietary ProjectPlush support system, which is basically just a footbed that contours to the natural curvature of the feet, helping to distribute weight evenly and alleviate pressure points that could lead to soreness, calluses, and blisters.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Corpulence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/corpulence. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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