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
-
Take this eye cream—retinol, Indonesian ginger, and iris extract are an unexpected trio that prevent the degradation of and promote the creation of collagen, increase hyaluronic acid production, improve circulation, firm, and plump skin.—
Tamim Alnuweiri,
InStyle,
14 Jan. 2026
-
In fact, when deciding on a slab of salmon or a plump whole branzino, many of our senses should come into play—including common sense!—
Randi Gollin,
Martha Stewart,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
This is due to the polyphenols and healthy fat content, according to Bobrick.—
Kirsten Nunez,
Martha Stewart,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Chicken has slightly more protein than salmon and contains less fat.—
Carley Millhone,
Health,
10 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The 37th Annual Producers Guild Awards to be held on Saturday, February 28, 2026 at the Fairmont Century Plaza, and will also include special honors celebrating distinguished producers whose careers reflect sustained excellence and influence.—
Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Attorney, civil rights advocate and political commentator Bakari Sellers will be the event's distinguished speaker.—
Domenica Bongiovanni,
IndyStar,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Dotson is returning to practice this week ahead of the Rams’ divisional round game against the Chicago Bears.—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
15 Jan. 2026
-
Penn State won the first matchup, a 74-69 victory in a 1991 NCAA Tournament first round game at Syracuse's Carrier Dome.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
15 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Portly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portly. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
