PAUNCHY Synonyms: 31 Similar and Opposite Words

paunchy

adjective

ˈpȯn-chē

Definition of paunchy

as in plump

having a large protruding abdomen not surprisingly, the new Hollywood biopic casts a young, athletically trim actor in the role of the paunchy, balding artist

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of paunchy From the faded velvet booths, Instagram-happy tourists sidle up against paunchy men wearing trousers the same hue as their salmon terrine. — airmail.news, 28 Dec. 2024 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 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 Lean and lethally witty Adam Godley plays middle son Mayer, the perfect counterpoint to Beale’s paunchy patriarch. — Marilyn Stasio, Variety, 14 Oct. 2021 See All Example Sentences for paunchy

Recent Examples of Synonyms for paunchy

Adjective

The brothel is huge and painted black, like a plump beetle luxuriating in the sun, and the opulence of its internal decoration is matched by Kate herself.

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
Wagyu beef and lamb koobideh are formed into bite-size, plump spheres doused in a sweet tomato and sumac glaze.

— Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of plump

Adjective

The role required Cruise to transform with prosthetics (including a fat suit and thinning white hair) and a put-on Southern accent, but, mostly, the absurdist satire demanded his full acting range.

— Angelique Jackson, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026
Four add-ons—acupuncture, intralipid infusion (fat injections intended to regulate the immune system) and platelet-rich-plasma (PRP), or blood injections, in the uterus and ovaries—had either mixed evidence or low quality data backing them up.

— Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of fat

Adjective

In a particularly Ethan Hunt-ish twist, the actor wears a rubbery disguise—a potbellied suit, a scraggly gray comb-over, and a smattering of old-guy makeup.

— Justin Chang, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2026
The farm is home to goats, Holstein cows, potbellied and kune kune pigs, donkeys, sheep, rabbits, llamas, alpacas, guinea fowl, guinea pigs, geese, chickens, a Shetland pony, and a Shire horse.

— Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025

Definition of potbellied

Browse Nearby Words

paunchiness

paunchy

pauper

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“Paunchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paunchy. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of paunchy

adjective

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