flesh

verb

fleshed; fleshing; fleshes

transitive verb

1

a

: to clothe or cover with or as if with flesh

broadly : to give substance to

—usually used with out

flesh out a plan

has fleshed out a formerly two-dimensional character

b

: to make fuller or more nearly complete

—used with out

museums fleshing out their collections with borrowed works

2

: to free from flesh

3

: to initiate or habituate especially by giving a foretaste

4

archaic : gratify

intransitive verb

1

: to become fleshy

—often used with up or out

cattle that is fleshed out

2

: to develop a more muscular physique

—often used with out

Synonyms of flesh

• develop
• expand
• supplement
• elaborate (on)
• enlarge (on or upon)
• add (to)
• dilate (on or upon)

Examples of flesh in a Sentence

a lengthy follow-up that fleshes out the original report on the military engagement

Recent Examples on the Web

But only Kehlani with her un-maudlin yearning could’ve fleshed it out. —Alfred Soto, Pitchfork, 28 Apr. 2026

Narrative journalism takes each of these elements and fleshes them out into fuller narrative forms. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Apr. 2026

To be able to explore those different colors of a person’s life and to flesh those out was so fun. —Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 31 Mar. 2026

But if Bride of Frankenstein introduced this idea, others would have to flesh it out. —Rory Doherty, Time, 7 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3

Phrases Containing flesh

• a thorn in the/someone's flesh/side
• flesh and blood
• flesh-colored
• flesh-eating
• flesh-eating bacterium
• flesh-eating disease
• flesh fly
• flesh out
• flesh-pressing
• flesh wound
• go the way of all flesh
• in the flesh
• make someone's flesh crawl/creep
• make someone's skin/flesh crawl
• make someone's skin/flesh creep
• pound of flesh
• press the flesh
• proud flesh
• the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak

Rhymes for flesh

• creche
• fresh
• lesch
• mesh
• resh
• thresh
• afresh
• horseflesh
• refresh
• gilgamesh

Kids Definition

flesh

1 of 2 noun

ˈflesh 

1

a

: the soft parts of the body of an animal and especially the muscular parts

b

: sleek plump condition of body

cattle in good flesh

2

: parts of an animal used as food

3

: the physical being of a person as distinguished from the soul

4

: a fleshy plant part (as the pulp of a fruit)

fleshed

ˈflesht

adjective

flesh

2 of 2 verb

: to make more complete by adding details

flesh out a story

Medical Definition

flesh

noun

ˈflesh 

: the soft parts of the body of an animal and especially of a vertebrate

especially : the parts composed chiefly of skeletal muscle as distinguished from visceral structures, bone, and integuments see goose bumps, proud flesh

fleshed

ˈflesht 

adjective