paunchy

adjective

ˈpȯn-chē How to pronounce paunchy (audio)
ˈpän-
paunchier; paunchiest
: having a potbelly
paunchiness noun

Examples of paunchy in a Sentence

not surprisingly, the new Hollywood biopic casts a young, athletically trim actor in the role of the paunchy, balding artist
Recent Examples on the Web Lean and lethally witty Adam Godley plays middle son Mayer, the perfect counterpoint to Beale’s paunchy patriarch. Marilyn Stasio, Variety, 14 Oct. 2021 Colin Farrell looks less like himself than ever in The Lobster, a movie in which the attractive leading man is transformed into a schlubby, paunchy character sporting a big mustache and corrective lenses. Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 23 Jan. 2023 The paunchy man’s head was resting on the general’s left leg. Vladimir Sorokin, Harper’s Magazine , 20 July 2022 Unlike castrati of the 17th and 18th centuries — always beardless, and typically tall and paunchy — Mariño is short and lithe, and was already sporting a five o’clock shadow on a recent afternoon walk with Leia, his Cavalier King Charles spaniel. New York Times, 27 May 2022 See all Example Sentences for paunchy 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'paunchy.' 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

1598, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of paunchy was in 1598

Dictionary Entries Near paunchy

Cite this Entry

“Paunchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paunchy. Accessed 3 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

paunchy

adjective
ˈpȯn-chē How to pronounce paunchy (audio)
ˈpän-
paunchier; paunchiest
: having a potbelly
paunchiness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on paunchy

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!