1
b
: of, relating to, or characterized by indulgence of bodily appetites
c
: not spiritual : worldly
2
3
: having a sensuous quality
fleshly art
Synonyms
Examples of fleshly in a Sentence
a time of year when people shouldn't focus on fleshly concerns, but instead on spiritual matters
the fleshly eye sees the only finished painting, but the mind's eye sees the genius behind its creation
Recent Examples on the Web
When another girl, Addie (Mia Pak), tries to explain Jesus’ status as the Son of God—fully fleshly and fully divine—as the meeting of horizontal and vertical lines at the overlapping center of a Venn diagram, Beatrice fisks the idea earnestly.
—
Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2022
The grateful nutcracker becomes a living prince and leads Clara through a spinning snowstorm of ballerinas to a sugary kingdom where flamenco-style dancers spin with twisting torsos and entwining arms as fleshly embodiments of Spanish chocolate.
—Sarah L. Kaufman, Washington Post, 25 Nov. 2022
There is a leveling effect to his approach, one that allows About Endlessness to find grandeur in the smallest of everyday moments while also highlighting the fallible, fleshly absurdity of even history’s most outsize figures.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2021
They were tempted by curiosity and hunger, by fleshly desires.
—Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, The New Yorker, 18 Jan. 2021
When all seems lost, a magical, fleshly reappearance defies death’s despair.
—Longreads, 14 Apr. 2020
Our fleshly forms evolved to work within the tug of gravity.
—National Geographic, 12 June 2019
Beasley’s lush and sculptures are anchored in fleshly experience.
—Cate McQuaid, BostonGlobe.com, 23 May 2018
A bovine nirvana, in other words, where the fleshly mortification of Theravada Buddhism does not apply.
—Joseph Hincks / Hong Kong, Time, 30 Aug. 2017
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Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2022
The grateful nutcracker becomes a living prince and leads Clara through a spinning snowstorm of ballerinas to a sugary kingdom where flamenco-style dancers spin with twisting torsos and entwining arms as fleshly embodiments of Spanish chocolate.
—Sarah L. Kaufman, Washington Post, 25 Nov. 2022
There is a leveling effect to his approach, one that allows About Endlessness to find grandeur in the smallest of everyday moments while also highlighting the fallible, fleshly absurdity of even history’s most outsize figures.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2021
They were tempted by curiosity and hunger, by fleshly desires.
—Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, The New Yorker, 18 Jan. 2021
When all seems lost, a magical, fleshly reappearance defies death’s despair.
—Longreads, 14 Apr. 2020
Our fleshly forms evolved to work within the tug of gravity.
—National Geographic, 12 June 2019
Beasley’s lush and sculptures are anchored in fleshly experience.
—Cate McQuaid, BostonGlobe.com, 23 May 2018
A bovine nirvana, in other words, where the fleshly mortification of Theravada Buddhism does not apply.
—Joseph Hincks / Hong Kong, Time, 30 Aug. 2017
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fleshly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of fleshly was
before the 12th century
Dictionary Entries Near fleshly
Cite this Entry
“Fleshly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fleshly. Accessed 8 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
fleshly
adjective
flesh·ly
ˈflesh-lē 
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