as in plump
having an excess of body fat
a roly-poly baby who grew into a slender child
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Recent Examples of roly-poly
Stability: Does the foot plant feel secure, or do my ankles feel roly-poly?
—
Maggie Slepian, Outside, 26 Jan. 2026
The lounge’s furniture had been softened with curvy sofas and roly-poly club chairs, but that sensation of floating above the city felt familiar.
—Chris Schalkx, Travel + Leisure, 16 Dec. 2025
Every few weeks a letter or phone call requesting a conference with Zilpha and Jaron came from Mr. Darwin, the school resource manager, a roly-poly man with a lovely voice.
—Annie Proulx, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2025
But like a roly-poly, the gömböc is round in places.
—Elise Cutts, Wired News, 10 Aug. 2025
Regardless of what they’re called, most people know exactly what an armadillo looks like, with its roly-poly armored form and weird shuffling walk.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 18 July 2025
Imagine instead your mother’s delight in you as a baby, in all your sweet-smelling, roly-poly nudeness.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 10 June 2025
People were bamboozled by the roly-poly big-eyed cuteness — such clips have drawn in millions of viewers.
—Brian Munoz, NPR, 24 Jan. 2025
Imagine a pale roly-poly the size of a muskrat wandering the seafloor.
—Amanda Kooser, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
Maggie Slepian, Outside, 26 Jan. 2026
The lounge’s furniture had been softened with curvy sofas and roly-poly club chairs, but that sensation of floating above the city felt familiar.
—Chris Schalkx, Travel + Leisure, 16 Dec. 2025
Every few weeks a letter or phone call requesting a conference with Zilpha and Jaron came from Mr. Darwin, the school resource manager, a roly-poly man with a lovely voice.
—Annie Proulx, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2025
But like a roly-poly, the gömböc is round in places.
—Elise Cutts, Wired News, 10 Aug. 2025
Regardless of what they’re called, most people know exactly what an armadillo looks like, with its roly-poly armored form and weird shuffling walk.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 18 July 2025
Imagine instead your mother’s delight in you as a baby, in all your sweet-smelling, roly-poly nudeness.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 10 June 2025
People were bamboozled by the roly-poly big-eyed cuteness — such clips have drawn in millions of viewers.
—Brian Munoz, NPR, 24 Jan. 2025
Imagine a pale roly-poly the size of a muskrat wandering the seafloor.
—Amanda Kooser, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for roly-poly
Adjective
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Hyaluronic acid and collagen help visibly hydrate and plump skin, smoothing the appearance of lines, crow’s feet and crepey texture for a flawless makeup look.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2026
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From having the viscous juices of decomposed leaves that kept her plump leak through a tear in her side, as happened to a few of her siblings.—
María Ospina,
The Dial,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Sometimes, depending upon a patient’s anatomy, fat in the surrounding area will be removed to enhance the result, helping to alleviate heaviness and hooding of the eyes.—
Taryn Brooke,
Allure,
9 Apr. 2026
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This Lincoln Park restaurant’s OBH burger comes with a side of beef fat wedge fries.—
Kayla Samoy,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Cámara uses a HexClad grill pan, evenly perforated with small round holes, to char her homegrown chiles, tomatoes, and aromatics for salsas.—
Kate Kassin,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
9 Apr. 2026
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The round, sesame-seeded bread is layered with Italian deli meats, cheeses and a tangy olive salad that ties everything together.—
Lauren Schuster,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Roly-poly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roly-poly. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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