body-shaming
noun
body-sham·ing
ˈbä-dē-ˌshā-miŋ 
variants
or body shaming
: the act or practice of subjecting someone to criticism or mockery for supposed bodily faults or imperfections
Far from being isolated incidents, these jokes … only highlight the fact that body-shaming is very much a problem among men as well as women, with public figures deemed "fair game" when it comes to criticisms of their appearance.—
Philip Ellis
Philip Ellis
body-shaming
adjective
body-shaming comments
body-shaming bullies
Examples of body-shaming in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
After Ndlovu revealed plans to reverse her BBL due to public criticism, some accused Walker of body-shaming.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 4 Aug. 2025
TikTok reactions to the patently insane things Tyra Banks said and did — including casual body-shaming, screaming her head off at a contestant, and pretending to faint during a taping — regularly go viral.
—Emily Palmer Heller, Vulture, 9 July 2025
Social media is a complex environment that presents both opportunities and threats for adolescents, with self-expression and emotional support on the one hand and body-shaming, cyberbullying and addictive behaviors on the other.
—Abdulmalik Alluhidan, The Conversation, 19 Mar. 2025
The 27-year-old’s Instagram has now been flooded with criticism, however, after Swedish news outlet Aftonbladet produced a report on widespread bullying and body-shaming at Djerf Avenue.
—Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Dec. 2024
Knightly's example demonstrates the pendulum swing of body-shaming.
—Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 17 Dec. 2024
When body image woes come wrapped in a bow
Giving a fitness gift this holiday season can come across as body-shaming, a not-so-subtle message that a person’s body isn’t good enough, eating disorder experts say.
—Andrew Torgan, CNN, 2 Dec. 2024
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Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 4 Aug. 2025
TikTok reactions to the patently insane things Tyra Banks said and did — including casual body-shaming, screaming her head off at a contestant, and pretending to faint during a taping — regularly go viral.
—Emily Palmer Heller, Vulture, 9 July 2025
Social media is a complex environment that presents both opportunities and threats for adolescents, with self-expression and emotional support on the one hand and body-shaming, cyberbullying and addictive behaviors on the other.
—Abdulmalik Alluhidan, The Conversation, 19 Mar. 2025
The 27-year-old’s Instagram has now been flooded with criticism, however, after Swedish news outlet Aftonbladet produced a report on widespread bullying and body-shaming at Djerf Avenue.
—Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Dec. 2024
Knightly's example demonstrates the pendulum swing of body-shaming.
—Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 17 Dec. 2024
When body image woes come wrapped in a bow
Giving a fitness gift this holiday season can come across as body-shaming, a not-so-subtle message that a person’s body isn’t good enough, eating disorder experts say.
—Andrew Torgan, CNN, 2 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Body-shaming.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/body-shaming. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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