corpulent

adjective

cor·​pu·​lent ˈkȯr-pyə-lənt 

: having a large bulky body : obese

… were a bit corpulent from too many years of privileged living …

—Thomas Cutler

corpulently adverb

Did you know?

The Duchess of Windsor may have said that you can never be too rich or too thin, but that's a rather modern point of view. In earlier times in Europe, being overweight was considered a sign of wealth and well-being, as demonstrated by the corpulence of many European kings. Still today, corpulence is thought to be superior to thinness in some of the world's cultures. But corpulent and corpulence are less often used than they once were, and we're now probably more likely to say "obese" and "obesity".

Synonyms of corpulent

• plump
• fat
• round

Examples of corpulent in a Sentence

a corpulent, elegantly dressed opera singer came out and sang, and we knew it was over

Recent Examples on the Web

Bolton notes that in art, the corpulent body has almost entirely been used as a fertility symbol. —ABC News, 23 Feb. 2026

Snug bucket seats challenge corpulent occupants, but look fantastic, as does the expanse of quilted leather that covers the parcel shelf behind the driver and passenger. —Robert Ross, Robb Report, 16 Feb. 2026

The trim, disciplined Barack Obama, who snacked on seven almonds a night in the White House, was regularly contrasted on liberal talk shows with the corpulent Chris Christie, Mike Huckabee, or Donald Trump. —Annie Levin, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2026

On the other side, the Reverend Al Sharpton, a corpulent, demagogic presence, took up the victims’ cause, and was seen by some as a radical, and by almost everyone as an opportunist. —Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, borrowed from Latin corpulentus, from corpus "body" + -ulentus "having in quantity, full of" — more at midriff

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

corpulent

adjective

cor·​pu·​lent ˈkȯr-pyə-lənt 

: very fat : obese

Medical Definition

corpulent

adjective

cor·​pu·​lent -lənt 

: having a large bulky body : obese

corpulently adverb