PORTLY Synonyms: 124 Similar and Opposite Words

portly

adjective

ˈpȯrt-lē

Definition of portly

as in plump

having an excess of body fat a portly gentleman who loved to cook for his family and friends

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in imposing

having or showing a formal and serious or reserved manner walked with the portly grace of the grande dame that she was

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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Recent Examples of portly The portly, silver-haired son of a Breton fisherman viewed himself as a man with a mission — to keep France French under the banner of the National Front. — Thomas Adamson, Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2025 Oh, and being a bit on the portly side couldn't hurt one's chance's, either. — Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 22 July 2023 In Facebook groups dedicated to Texas barbecue fandom, a recently popular meme shows a portly man dancing on a stripper pole. — Elizabeth Findell, WSJ, 9 Mar. 2022 That’s when the portly orphan, who was riding in the van with her, slices off her face to wear it as his own. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 18 Feb. 2022 See All Example Sentences for portly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for portly

Adjective

Advanced Night Ceramide Signature Anti-Aging Night Cream Think of this ceramide-rich formula as plump skin in a bottle.

— Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 4 July 2026
Instead of turning to cobbler this summer, put all of those juicy peaches and plump raspberries at the farmers’ market to good use with this stunning recipe.

— Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 4 July 2026

Definition of plump

Adjective

The source of Soloviev’s angst lay in part in growing up with a father who was one of the more imposing, cantankerous figures in the history of New York real estate — a demographic with stiff competition.

— Reeves Wiedeman, Curbed, 22 June 2026
There’s Chateau de Fère and Les Crayères, which is very imposing and old-fashioned; a couple of very nice funky little boutique hotels (including one owned by the Selosse family who make amazing, and amazingly priced, grower Champagne) and lots of good chambres d'hôtes.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 June 2026

Definition of imposing

Adjective

Ice cream is higher in calories due to its higher fat content.

— Jillian Kubala, Health, 7 July 2026
Here, fat-tire bicycles seem to outnumber cars, hours are measured in sunscreen applications and tugs on fishing lines, and island nightlife belongs to nesting sea turtles.

— Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 7 July 2026

Definition of fat

Adjective

To mark the occasion of America’s centennial, the people of Taunton, Massachusetts, invited James Russell Lowell—distinguished poet, founding editor of The Atlantic—to compose and read an ode for the Fourth of July.

— Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 3 July 2026
Tom Tugendhat, a Conservative, is a member of the British Parliament and a distinguished fellow at the Hudson Institute.

— Tom Tugendhat, Washington Post, 2 July 2026