as in plump
having an excess of body fat
in America, Santa Claus is portrayed as a jolly but tubby older gentleman
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tubby
That Pete Hegseth is at the Pentagon instead of tubby Lloyd Austin.
—
Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 26 Nov. 2025
It is sold in a curious short and tubby bottle with an original label with an old man with wispy hair and a long beard.
—Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
The structure is like a planetary system with its multiple characters and fascinating satellites: his best friend Ruprecht, a tubby genius; Lori, his unrequited love; Carl the psychopath; Howard the Coward; Father Green a.k.a.
—Tomi Obaro, Vulture, 21 Nov. 2024
Colin Farrell’s Penguin Is Different From The Comics The original Batman villains were mostly made up of gangsters, and the Penguin first appeared in the early 40’s as a tubby man in a tuxedo and monocle, wielding a variety of gadgets inside his iconic umbrella.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
Heavy, ample, plump, tubby—these might as well be curse words.
—TIME, 2 Feb. 2024
This gives it the slight grace of a drawer without sacrificing the functionality of a big tubby bin.
—Kevin Cortez, Popular Mechanics, 17 Aug. 2023
After a long day of tail wagging, tubby rubbing, and shoe chewing, your dog deserves a comfortable place to rest.
—Cai Cramer, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2023
The 65-minute family show sees A.A. Milne‘s tubby little cubby brought to life along with his furry friends.
—K.j. Yossman, Variety, 27 Mar. 2023
Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 26 Nov. 2025
It is sold in a curious short and tubby bottle with an original label with an old man with wispy hair and a long beard.
—Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
The structure is like a planetary system with its multiple characters and fascinating satellites: his best friend Ruprecht, a tubby genius; Lori, his unrequited love; Carl the psychopath; Howard the Coward; Father Green a.k.a.
—Tomi Obaro, Vulture, 21 Nov. 2024
Colin Farrell’s Penguin Is Different From The Comics The original Batman villains were mostly made up of gangsters, and the Penguin first appeared in the early 40’s as a tubby man in a tuxedo and monocle, wielding a variety of gadgets inside his iconic umbrella.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
Heavy, ample, plump, tubby—these might as well be curse words.
—TIME, 2 Feb. 2024
This gives it the slight grace of a drawer without sacrificing the functionality of a big tubby bin.
—Kevin Cortez, Popular Mechanics, 17 Aug. 2023
After a long day of tail wagging, tubby rubbing, and shoe chewing, your dog deserves a comfortable place to rest.
—Cai Cramer, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2023
The 65-minute family show sees A.A. Milne‘s tubby little cubby brought to life along with his furry friends.
—K.j. Yossman, Variety, 27 Mar. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tubby
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
The Good Neighbor Old Fashioned ($17) uses tallow from the mothership restaurant’s brisket to fat-wash the bourbon, complemented with hay liqueur and citrusy Licor 43.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
5 Feb. 2026
-
In a 2020 study, participants who followed a ketogenic diet experienced significant reductions in waist and hip circumference and total body fat percentage, without reducing their calorie intake.—
Bret Scher,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Simon Rex, Elsie Fisher, and more round out the cast.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
4 Feb. 2026
-
News round-up 🗞️ Another day, another Gianni Infantino PR masterclass.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tubby.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tubby. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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