1
as in plump
having an excess of body fat
a portly gentleman who loved to cook for his family and friends
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of portly
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
Made of steel, the watch had in its dial a sketch of a portly man, his face framed by round glasses and his broad shoulders clad in a wide-lapelled jacket.
—Sonia Paul, Wired, 1 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
One day, Lem held forth about H. G. Wells and Jules Verne to a portly man who turned out to run a publishing house.
—Caleb Crain, The New Yorker, 10 Jan. 2022
See All Example Sentences for portly
Elizabeth Findell, WSJ, 9 Mar. 2022
Made of steel, the watch had in its dial a sketch of a portly man, his face framed by round glasses and his broad shoulders clad in a wide-lapelled jacket.
—Sonia Paul, Wired, 1 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
One day, Lem held forth about H. G. Wells and Jules Verne to a portly man who turned out to run a publishing house.
—Caleb Crain, The New Yorker, 10 Jan. 2022
See All Example Sentences for portly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portly
Adjective
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Bursts of Bing cherries and plump raisins add a fruity depth, making every bite savory, juicy, and just sweet enough, especially when spooned over creamy mashed potatoes.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
2 Feb. 2026
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The bread is plush and pillowy, with a delicate crisp crust toasted just right, plus a bit of the crumb removed to make way for the good stuff — plump, tender meatballs tucked into a bright, zippy marinara that pulls the whole thing together.—
Carolyn Burt,
Oc Register,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The team had already excavated the other three corners of a narrow tomb occupied by an imposing, unnamed sarcophagus.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
5 Dec. 2025
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The most imposing building on Main Street is a gun shop called Chandler’s Firearms Estates, on the corner of East Church Street.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The property’s Nordic Center is open every day through mid-April and features almost 17 miles of groomed trails for classic and skate skiing, snowshoeing and fat biking, along with lessons and gear rentals.—
Shauna Farnell,
Denver Post,
29 Jan. 2026
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And all of these different things push up the enough point on a population level, meaning that most people are carrying or storing more fat than is healthy or needed.—
Jessica Firger,
SELF,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Warsh is currently a distinguished visiting fellow at Stanford University.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
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Wice is a distinguished adjunct professor and senior fellow at New York Law School.—
Jeffrey M. Wice,
New York Daily News,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The WiiM Sound Lite is covered in a robust fabric and is missing the round color display for artwork found on the more expensive WiiM Sound.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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This deal includes round-trip airfare from major US cities like New York, Chicago, LA, Miami, and Dallas.—
Paris Wilson,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Portly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portly. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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