1
as in plump
having an excess of body fat
a portly gentleman who loved to cook for his family and friends
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 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
-
That observation eventually led to the discovery of Pitera, the brand's now-iconic ferment; this sheet mask is absolutely drenched in it to nourish and plump skin with amino acids, vitamins, and minerals.
-
Amazon shoppers say the $22 Kahi Wrinkle Bounce Multi-Balm leaves their skin hydrated and plump.
Adjective
-
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.
-
In person, Rowbottom is striking — tall, platinum blond, soft-spoken — though less imposing than carefully self-possessed.
Adjective
-
Their effect has been dramatic with drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy (semaglutide) causing users to lose up to 15 percent of their body fat on average.
-
The closest the visually drab movie comes to excitement is the introduction of an amusing if underused Jason Momoa as Lobo, an immortal bounty hunter who looks like a heavy-metal god (or maybe a lost member of Kiss), chomping on a fat cigar and roaring around on his flying motorcycle.
Adjective
-
In 2014, he was selected to receive a lifetime achievement award for distinguished achievement in television direction from the Directors Guild of America.
-
Patriotism And Nationalism Are Not Identical Political philosophers and historians have long distinguished patriotism from nationalism.
Adjective
-
The 19-year-old was mocked as a late first-round, early second-round selection.
-
The group filed its second lawsuit after the supervisors approved a lease in December allowing United Airlines to make four daily round-trip flights from Carlsbad to San Francisco and Denver.
Cite this Entry
“Portly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portly. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
