fat

1 of 3

adjective

ˈfat

fatter; fattest

Synonyms of fat next

: notable for having an unusual amount of fat:

: plump

a cute, fat little baby

: having excessive body fat

… a woman of medium height, a little plump but not fat …—

Mary McCarthy

of a meat animal : fattened for market

of food : oily, greasy

a fat, rich cheese

: well filled out : thick, big

a fat book

: full in tone and quality : rich

a gorgeous fat bass voice—

Irish Digest

: well stocked

a fat larder

: prosperous, wealthy

grew fat on the war—

Time

: being substantial and impressive

a fat bank account

: richly rewarding or profitable

a fat part in a movie

a fat contract

: practically nonexistent

a fat chance

: productive, fertile

a fat year for crops

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

: being swollen

got a fat lip from the fight

of a baseball pitch : easy to hit

fatness noun

fat

2 of 3

verb

fatted; fatting

transitive verb

: to make fat : fatten

fat

3 of 3

noun

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

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

: 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

: a solid or semisolid fat as distinguished from an oil

: the best or richest part

: obesity

: something in excess : superfluity

trim the fat from the news operation—

Ray Olson

fatless

ˈfat-ləs

adjective

Example Sentences

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 See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

For those of us with fat cats (Sorry, Harry.), this can hold a pet up to 20 pounds. —

Jessica Hartshorn, Good Housekeeping, 12 Jan. 2023 Played by a sneering, barking Emma Thompson, who donned a fat suit and fascist military garb for the role, the Trunchbull is a memorably exaggerated monster. —

Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 8 Dec. 2022 Its highest nutrient is fat at 55 grams per 100 grams. —

Perri O. Blumberg, Men's Health, 7 Dec. 2022 Somebody who's very muscular may have a high BMI without being fat, but, for the moment, that's the measure that's used. —

Alexis Davies, USA TODAY, 5 Dec. 2022 The movie continues to divide critics and early festival viewers ahead of its Dec. 9 theatrical release, as Fraser wears a fat suit for the role and Aronofsky has been accused of portraying the character through a harmful lens. —

Amber Dowling, Variety, 5 Dec. 2022 According to progressive demonology, the Supreme Court’s 2010 ruling in Citizens United v. FEC unleashed corporate election spending, allowed fat cats to buy politicians, and turned the U.S. into an oligarchy, more or less. —

The Editorial Board, WSJ, 18 Aug. 2022 Rich died in 2013, aged 79, a billionaire and free man — an example that Glencore’s next generation of fat cats now seek to follow. —

Christopher Helman, Forbes, 26 May 2022 The Captain’s Platter ($62) makes for a great sampler, stacked with fried scallops, oysters and calamari, plus duck fat fries, sauces and a lemony slaw. —

Jess Lander, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Jan. 2023

Noun

Grease and oil stains—that is, stains caused by fat—won’t be budged by water alone. —

Kelley Rebori, Popular Mechanics, 20 Jan. 2023 Load up your fat bike, some warm clothes, and your sense of adventure and head to Rangeley in northern Maine — four hours north of Boston — for the 8th Annual Rangeley Fat Bike Loppet, Jan. 29. —

Kari Bodnarchuk, BostonGlobe.com, 19 Jan. 2023 Maintaining muscle mass takes more energy to do than maintaining fat, so our bodies burn more calories at rest. —

Men's Health, 18 Jan. 2023 Applesauce has long been a favored swap-in for eggs and fat, and Moskowitz favors using it in conjunction with milk — 1/4 cup of each per egg. —

Becky Krystal, Washington Post, 18 Jan. 2023 The hill is part of the Grand Geneva Resort complex, which also includes a spa, a waterpark, indoor rock climbing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, fat biking, sledding, ice skating and more. —

Chelsey Lewis, Journal Sentinel, 18 Jan. 2023 Roast until fat starts rendering and thighs partially cook, 15 minutes. —

Kitty Greenwald, WSJ, 18 Jan. 2023 Ketogenic Nootropic Blend from Perfect Keto is a powerful blend of BHB Salts, MCTs, and adaptogenic herbs like Ashwagandha and Rhodiola Rosea that work together to improve cognitive performance while also increasing fat-burning efficiency. —

Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 15 Jan. 2023 Abnormally high estrogen levels can lead to weight gain and fat that is very difficult to shift. —

Dallas News, 12 Jan. 2023 See More

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.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective, Verb, and Noun

Middle English, from Old English fǣtt, past participle of fǣtan to cram; akin to Old High German feizit fat

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

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

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Fat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fat. Accessed 26 Jan. 2023.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

fat

1 of 3 adjective

ˈfat

fatter; fattest

: plump entry 5, fleshy

: oily sense 1, greasy

: thick entry 1 sense 1

a fat book

: well stocked : abundant

: profitable

accepted a fat contract

: productive sense 1, fertile

: being swollen

got a fat lip in the fight

fatness noun

fat

2 of 3 verb

fatted; fatting

: to make fat : fatten

fat

3 of 3 noun

: animal tissue consisting chiefly of cells containing much greasy or oily matter

: any of numerous compounds of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen that make up most of plant and animal fat, are a major class of energy-rich food, and can be dissolved by ether but not by water

: a solid or semisolid fat (as lard) as distinguished from an oil

: the best or richest part

the fat of the land

: an amount beyond what is usual or needed : excess

Medical Definition

fat

1 of 2 adjective

ˈfat

fatter; fattest

: notable for having an unusual amount of fat

especially : fleshy with superfluous flabby tissue that is not muscle : obese

fatness noun

fat

2 of 2 noun

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

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

: 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

: a solid or semisolid fat as distinguished from an oil