fat

adjective

\ ˈfat

fatter; fattest

Definition of fat

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : notable for having an unusual amount of fat:

a : plump a cute, fat little baby

b : having excessive body fat … a woman of medium height, a little plump but not fat …— Mary McCarthy

c of a meat animal : fattened for market

d of food : oily, greasy a fat, rich cheese

2a : well filled out : thick, big a fat book

b : full in tone and quality : rich a gorgeous fat bass voice — Irish Digest

c : well stocked a fat larder

d : prosperous, wealthy grew fat on the war — Time

e : being substantial and impressive a fat bank account

3a : richly rewarding or profitable a fat part in a movie a fat contract

b : practically nonexistent a fat chance

4 : productive, fertile a fat year for crops

5 informal : stupid, foolish " … if he had had any sense in his fat head, he would have done it long ago, dash him!"— P. G. Wodehouse

6 : being swollen got a fat lip from the fight

7 of a baseball pitch : easy to hit

fat

verb

fatted; fatting

Definition of fat (Entry 2 of 3)

transitive verb

: to make fat : fatten

fat

noun

Definition of fat (Entry 3 of 3)

1 : animal tissue consisting chiefly of cells distended with greasy or oily matter

2a : oily or greasy matter making up the bulk of adipose tissue and often abundant in seeds

b : any of various compounds of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen that are glycerides of fatty acids, are the chief constituents of plant and animal fat, are a major class of energy-rich food, and are soluble in organic solvents but not in water

c : a solid or semisolid fat as distinguished from an oil

3 : the best or richest part

4 : obesity

5 : something in excess : superfluity trim the fat from the news operation— Ray Olson

Other Words from fat Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about fat

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Examples of fat in a Sentence

Adjective

The dog is getting fat because you feed him too much. I can't believe I've let myself get so fat. a fat book of poems a truck with fat tires

Noun

people with excess body fat a diet and exercise program to help you gain muscle and lose fat Nuts contain a lot of fat. Trim the fat from the meat before you cook it. a diet low in fats fats like butter and olive oil trim the fat off the budget

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Eggs have just over one gram of saturated fat and thus were back in favor. — Christine Byrne, Outside Online, "Are Eggs Bad for You? The Verdict Is Still Out.," 15 June 2019 Other olives get their names from their cultivar, such as the Picholine, from France, or the Cerignola, from Italy, fatigue green and fat and distinctively savory as olives go. — Bill St. John, The Denver Post, "Marinating olives, Sicilian style and simply," 12 June 2019 The Music Factory was where fat man Stanley Platzer reigned supreme as the breakbeat king. — Michael Gonzales, Longreads, "It’s Like That: The Makings of a Hip-Hop Writer," 10 June 2019 Nutrition | Per serving: 235 calories; 16 g fat; 3 g saturated fat; 8 mg cholesterol; 9 g protein; 17 g carbohydrate; 10 g sugar; 6 g fiber; 263 mg sodium; 92 mg calcium. — Daniel Neman, sacbee, "Main dishes? Fruit is not forbidden," 26 June 2018 Fish oil may transform fat-storage cells into fat-burning cells, which may reduce weight gain in middle age, according to research conducted in mice and published in Scientific Reports. — Susan Scutti, CNN, "Health effects of fish oil: Where do we stand?," 1 Mar. 2018 According to the American Council on Exercise, normal body fat percentages for women range from 10% to 31%, with a body fat percentage over 32% being considered obese. — Anthea Levi, Health.com, "Sarah Hyland Weighs 92 Lbs. and Has 49% Body Fat—but Is That Even Possible?," 27 Feb. 2018 Jump on a fat bike and take part in the Frosty Hog Fat Tire Relay Race Saturday, Feb. 3, at Humboldt Park, 3000 S. Howell Ave. in Bay View. — Bob Dohr, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Oak Creek-Franklin-St. Francis-Cudahy-South Milwaukee: Fat bikes, chili and a new indoor winter market," 29 Jan. 2018 Getting your body in a state of ketosis is one of the goals of the keto diet, which stipulates that followers obtain 75% to 90% of their daily calories come from fat, 6% to 20% from protein, and 2% to 5% from carbs. — Christina Oehler, Health.com, "A Husband and Wife Went on Keto. He Lasted Two Weeks, She Stuck to It All Year—and Lost 82 Pounds," 13 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The addition of an ounce of pistachios adds bonus antioxidants, plant protein, healthful fat, and minerals. — Cynthia Sass, Mph, Health.com, "7 Healthy Late-Night Snacks," 3 July 2019 The options currently available—mostly made from corn, sugarcane, or waste fats and oils—generally lack the mechanical strength and visual characteristics of the standard kinds, however. — Javier Garcia Martinez, Scientific American, "Bioplastics Could Solve a Major Pollution Problem," 1 July 2019 After 3 to 4 hours, add beer, spices, brisket fat and trimmings. — Dallas News, "Fort Worth's Heim Barbecue shares recipes for the perfect cookout side dishes," 1 July 2019 The fire-y, addictive snack contains too much fat and salt and creates acidity in the stomach, which can cause stomach aches that double kids over in pain, the doctor said. — Sonja Haller, USA TODAY, "Robin Thicke, April Love Geary get burned for feeding toddler Flamin' Hot Cheetos," 25 June 2019 Experts agree the combination of sugar, fat and salt activates certain parts of the brain that increase our desire to eat more. — Molly Kimball, nola.com, "Ever feel addicted to food? You’re not alone: Best of Molly Kimball," 25 June 2019 The control diet involved eating slightly more carbohydrates and less protein and fat per the Canadian national guidelines for healthy eating. — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, "What Is the Satiating Diet and Will It Help You Lose Weight? Here's What an R.D. Thinks," 20 June 2019 Yu and team will slow-cook pork and chicken together to make clear, rich broth known as chintan and the cloudy paitan, which is boiled for hours to release bone fats and collagen that create a creamy broth. — Liz Biro, Indianapolis Star, "One of the most ridiculous ramens ever is coming to a new ramen shop on Indy's north side," 12 June 2019 Sure, potato chips, cookies, and hotdogs are chock full of salt, sugar, fat, and calories. — Julia Belluz, Vox, "Highly processed foods look more and more unhealthy. The reason why may be hiding in our guts.," 11 June 2019

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

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Dictionary Entries near fat

Statistics for fat

Last Updated

5 Jul 2019

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Time Traveler for fat

The first known use of fat was before the 12th century

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More Definitions for fat

fat

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of fat

(Entry 1 of 2)

: having a lot of extra flesh on your body : having a lot of body fat

: having a full, rounded form

: unusually wide or thick

fat

noun

English Language Learners Definition of fat (Entry 2 of 2)

: the soft flesh on the bodies of people and animals that helps keep the body warm and is used to store energy

: an oily solid or liquid substance in food

: an amount that is more than what is usual or needed

See the full definition for fat in the English Language Learners Dictionary

fat

adjective

\ ˈfat

fatter; fattest

Kids Definition of fat

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : having much body fat a fat pig

2 : thick entry 1 sense 1 a fat book

3 : richly rewarding or profitable He signed a fat contract.

4 : swollen up I fell and got a fat lip.

fat

noun

Kids Definition of fat (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : animal or plant tissue containing much greasy or oily material

2 : any of numerous compounds of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen that make up most of animal or plant fat and that are important to nutrition as sources of energy

3 : a solid fat as distinguished from an oil

4 : the best or richest part the fat of the land

fat

adjective

\ ˈfat

fatter; fattest

Medical Definition of fat

(Entry 1 of 2)

: notable for having an unusual amount of fat especially : fleshy with superfluous flabby tissue that is not muscle : obese

fat

noun

Medical Definition of fat (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : animal tissue consisting chiefly of cells distended with greasy or oily matter — see brown fat

2a : oily or greasy matter making up the bulk of adipose tissue

b : any of numerous compounds of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen that are glycerides of fatty acids, are the chief constituents of plant and animal fat, are a major class of energy-rich food, and are soluble in organic solvents (as ether) but not in water

c : a solid or semisolid fat as distinguished from an oil

3 : the condition of fatness : obesity