Definition of OBESE

Examples of obese in a Sentence

providing medical treatment for obese patients the basset hound was so obese that its stomach touched the floor

Recent Examples on the Web People who are slightly overweight but not obese—as defined by their body mass index (BMI)— tend to live longer than their normal-weight counterparts, according to a new Danish study. — Christine Gorman, Scientific American, "Could a Few Extra Pounds Help You Live Longer?," 10 May 2016 Unfortunately while the coronavirus may be novel, being overweight or obese is not. — Jennifer Rude Klett, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Lighten up after coronavirus lockdown: how to lose weight, get healthy and boost immunity with food," 2 June 2020 Here’s something even more alarming: A study from Oxford University professor Klim McPherson, who is also chair of the UK's National Heart Forum, predicts that eight out of 10 men and almost seven in 10 women will be overweight or obese this year. — courier-journal.com, "Dominique Yates: 2 moments made me stop accepting I was overweight. My yearlong journey to health," 13 May 2020 According to a recent Pet Obesity Prevention survey, nearly 60 percent of cats and 56 percent of dogs are considered overweight or obese, which can lead to health problems. — Luann Gibbs, Cincinnati.com, "Tips for caring for your pet during the pandemic," 20 Mar. 2020 Gage is obese and likely suffers from asthma or chronic respiratory disease, along with other possible ailments, according to the motion. — Eric Heisig, cleveland, "Doctor says staff at private Youngstown prison aren’t doing enough to prevent coronavirus spread," 25 Apr. 2020 Things tend to get even worse with Type 2 diabetes, the kind of diabetes most generally associated with heart disease, hypertension, and being obese or overweight. — Imelda García, Dallas News, "Diabetics seen facing greater risks from the virus," 22 Apr. 2020 Research published last year showed 29% of adults in England were classified as obese. — Alex Morales, Bloomberg.com, "U.K. May Warn the Obese They’re More Vulnerable to Coronavirus," 8 May 2020 Research shows that walking is decreased in obese individuals and also declines with weight gain. — Stefani Sassos, Ms, Rdn, Cso, Good Housekeeping, "8 Tips to Follow for When You’re Walking for Weight Loss," 5 May 2020

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

History and Etymology for obese

borrowed from Latin obēsus "fat, stout," past participle of *obedere, perhaps meaning originally "to gnaw," from ob- "against" + edere "to eat" — more at ob-, eat entry 1

Note: Etymologically obēsus should mean "thin, emaciated," if the sense of the unattested verb *obedere was "to eat away, gnaw," as implied by its components. The Roman writer Aulus Gellius (Noctes Atticae 19.7.3) pointed this out and adduced a passage from the poet Laevius (who is known only from a handful of quotations from his works made by other authors), where the word apparently has the meaning "wasted." Presumably the word went reanalysis after the extinction of the verb. The grammarian Pompeius Festus construed the derivation phrasally as "made fat as if as a result of eating" ("pinguis quasi ob edendum factus").