as in plump
having a large protruding abdomen
an old, potbellied cat that now needs a ramp just to get on the sofa
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of potbellied
Perun summoned a potbellied officer from the T.D.F. brigade to the operations center.
—
Luke Mogelson, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
What could be more luxurious than checking in without having to wade through a maze of slot machines and a cloud of cigarette smoke, dodging potbellied dudes in tank tops?
—Jay McInerney, Town & Country, 18 June 2023
The Delaware Department of Agriculture is encouraging people who own potbellied pigs as pets to spay or neuter them to prevent unintended litters.
—Joseph De Avila, WSJ, 18 Nov. 2022
Outside this church upon a mosque upon a church, a potbellied Arab sat on the steps, conspicuously reciting his Quran.
—Aatish Taseer Richard Mosse, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2022
See All Example Sentences for potbellied
Luke Mogelson, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
What could be more luxurious than checking in without having to wade through a maze of slot machines and a cloud of cigarette smoke, dodging potbellied dudes in tank tops?
—Jay McInerney, Town & Country, 18 June 2023
The Delaware Department of Agriculture is encouraging people who own potbellied pigs as pets to spay or neuter them to prevent unintended litters.
—Joseph De Avila, WSJ, 18 Nov. 2022
Outside this church upon a mosque upon a church, a potbellied Arab sat on the steps, conspicuously reciting his Quran.
—Aatish Taseer Richard Mosse, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2022
See All Example Sentences for potbellied
Recent Examples of Synonyms for potbellied
Adjective
-
At Pan Asian restaurant Oriental, the lobster comes to the beachside tables looking like plump scoops of ice cream, and is best ordered alongside the black pepper wagyu beef.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 June 2026
-
Look for cherries that are bright, plump and firm.—
Cathy Thomas,
Oc Register,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
In Arthur Penn’s 1975 neo-noir Night Moves, Griffith is Delly Grastner, a 16-year-old runaway with a little girl’s voice and a grown woman’s body—on full display in an underwater nude scene—intent on seducing Gene Hackman, 43 and paunchy.—
Lili Anolik,
Vanity Fair,
12 Jan. 2026
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There isn’t much room in this palette for public pools or paunchy, suburban retirees.—
Sean Williams,
Outside,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Buccal fat refers to the natural fat tissues in the midface and lower face, responsible for the rounded soft jaw shape.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
-
Nice, juicy, fat, heirloom, or slicer tomato.—
Emily Elias,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Potbellied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/potbellied. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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