bloat

play

adjective \ˈblōt\

Definition of bloat

: bloated, puffy

Origin and Etymology of bloat

Middle English blout, blote soft, pliable, from Old Norse blautr soft, weak; akin to Old English blēat miserable

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

bloat

verb

Definition of bloat

transitive verb
1a : to make turgid or swollenb : to cause abdominal distension in
2 : to fill to capacity or overflowing
intransitive verb
: swell

See bloat defined for kids

Recent Examples of bloat from the Web

U.S. crude inventories have slid the most since September over the past two weeks, but the IEA said there’s little evidence that bloated global stockpiles are shrinking as anticipated.

— ben sharples, Bloomberg.com, "Oil's Weekly Gain Belies Smaller-Than-$1 Increase From Late 2016," 14 July 2017
Hahn’s big deal bloated the White Sox’s system to nine of MLB.com’s top 100 prospects.

— steve rosenbloom, chicagotribune.com, "The Jose Quintana deal was the kind of deal both teams had to make," 13 July 2017
Symptoms may include nausea, itching, headaches, bloating, and raised bile levels.

— tom krasovic, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Chargers duo: Dim view of FS-Faulconer connection in stadium game," 29 June 2017
Even so, all that bloated, high-octane action, coupled with completely unnecessary 3-D effects, muddles the effects artists’ impressive work.

— vanityfair.com, VanityFair.com, "TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHT," 20 June 2017
Even so, all that bloated, high-octane action, coupled with completely unnecessary 3-D effects, muddles the effects artists’ impressive work.

— yohana desta, VanityFair.com, "Transformers: The Last Knight Is a Million God-Awful Movies Crammed Into One," 20 June 2017
About 30 percent of patients who take metformin develop nausea, bloating and abdominal pain.

— tracy staedter live science contributor, Fox News, "Broccoli compound could help treat type 2 diabetes," 19 June 2017
General Motors Co. will extend its traditional seasonal shutdown at certain U.S. factories to deal with slumping sales and bloated inventory, the WSJ’s Mike Colias reports, the latest sign that the industry is shifting into a lower production gear.

— paul page, WSJ, "Today’s Top Supply Chain and Logistics News From WSJ," 15 June 2017
General Motors Co. will extend the typical summer shutdown at certain U.S. factories to deal with slumping sales and bloated inventory, a sign the industry’s hot streak is grinding to a halt.

— mike colias, WSJ, "GM Extends Summer Break Amid Industry Slump, Growing Glut," 14 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bloat.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of bloat

1677

bloat

noun

Definition of bloat

1a : one that is bloatedb : unwarranted or excessive growth or enlargement bureaucratic bloat
2 : digestive disturbance of ruminant animals and especially cattle marked by accumulation of gas in one or more stomach compartments
3 : a condition of large dogs marked by distension and usually life-threatening rotation of the stomach

See bloat defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of bloat from the Web

Cuba’s party scene became an infamous stage for tourism at its most exploitative and indulgent, a wretched and poisonous case of bloat.

— peter lewis, The Christian Science Monitor, "'Havana' probes the mysteries and magic of the Cuban capital," 5 July 2017
The cons with this is that the products contain some sugar alcohols which can cause digestive upset, bloat, and gassiness.

— sharon feiereisen, Fox News, "Are those crazy food products on 'Shark Tank' actually healthy?," 22 June 2017
That demand has softened, maybe due to festival bloat.

— charles r. cross, The Seattle Times, "In an area bloated with festivals, Sasquatch! still stands out," 24 May 2017
More than a decade on, the Tren Urbano is a monument to the folly, bloat and abuse that finally bankrupted Puerto Rico.

— martin z braun, Bloomberg.com, "Debt Island: How $74 Billion in Bonds Bankrupted Puerto Rico," 15 May 2017
And the draft has become part of the general bloat.

— steven kurutz, New York Times, "The Peacocks of N.F.L. Draft Night," 28 Apr. 2017
One option to avoid the bloat and costs of the Games, the Olympic historian Bill Mallon said, would be to adopt a model similar to that used by the British Open golf tournament, which rotates between a predetermined set of host venues.

— mary pilon, The New Yorker, "Olympic Bidding in the Age of Trump and Le Pen," 17 Apr. 2017
Court rulings and Ref C let our budget skyrocket and bloat during the growth, and when revenues crashed, panic and pain ensued.

— jon caldara, The Denver Post, "Why date rapists hate TABOR," 24 Feb. 2017
The memo, which designates which officials are expected to attend certain meetings, is designed to streamline the decision-making process and cut down on bloat, the official said.

— justin sink, Orange County Register, "Trump changes lobbying rules, seeks plan against militants in orders," 28 Jan. 2017

First Known Use of bloat

1836

BLOAT Defined for English Language Learners

bloat

noun

Definition of bloat for English Language Learners

: too much growth

BLOAT Defined for Kids

bloat

play

verb \ˈblōt\

Definition of bloat for Students

bloated

;

bloating

: to make swollen with or as if with fluid

Medical Dictionary

bloat

play

verb \ˈblōt\

Medical Definition of bloat

: to make turgid:a: to produce edema inb: to cause or result in accumulation of gas in the digestive tract of cucumbers sometimes bloat mec: to cause abdominal distension in
intransitive verb

: to become turgid

bloat

noun

Medical Definition of bloat

1: a digestive disturbance of ruminant animals and especially cattle marked by accumulation of gas in one or more stomach compartments
2a: a condition of large dogs marked by distension and usually life-threatening rotation of the stomachb: any flatulent digestive disturbance of domestic animals