as in plump
having a large protruding abdomen
not surprisingly, the new Hollywood biopic casts a young, athletically trim actor in the role of the paunchy, balding artist
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Recent Examples of paunchy
The paunchy man’s head was resting on the general’s left leg.
—
Vladimir Sorokin, Harper’s Magazine , 20 July 2022
Unlike castrati of the 17th and 18th centuries — always beardless, and typically tall and paunchy — Mariño is short and lithe, and was already sporting a five o’clock shadow on a recent afternoon walk with Leia, his Cavalier King Charles spaniel.
—New York Times, 27 May 2022
The father, Alexei Shostakov (played by David Harbour), is now a bearded and paunchy Soviet-era superhero known as Red Guardian, the counterpart of Captain America.
—Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 July 2021
One recent late afternoon, a group of paunchy middle-aged men seated in plastic chairs on the sidewalk debated measures to fight the virus.
—Renata Brito, Anchorage Daily News, 26 May 2020
See All Example Sentences for paunchy
Vladimir Sorokin, Harper’s Magazine , 20 July 2022
Unlike castrati of the 17th and 18th centuries — always beardless, and typically tall and paunchy — Mariño is short and lithe, and was already sporting a five o’clock shadow on a recent afternoon walk with Leia, his Cavalier King Charles spaniel.
—New York Times, 27 May 2022
The father, Alexei Shostakov (played by David Harbour), is now a bearded and paunchy Soviet-era superhero known as Red Guardian, the counterpart of Captain America.
—Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 July 2021
One recent late afternoon, a group of paunchy middle-aged men seated in plastic chairs on the sidewalk debated measures to fight the virus.
—Renata Brito, Anchorage Daily News, 26 May 2020
See All Example Sentences for paunchy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paunchy
Adjective
-
In other words, ceramides help to keep your skin tone plump and even.—
Taylor Lane,
Flow Space,
4 Apr. 2025
-
This gooey essence hydrates, soothes, and leaves skin looking plump without feeling greasy.—
Simon Hill,
Wired News,
31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Apparently, the secretary is unaware that vitamin A is fat soluble and not easily excreted, with any excess stored in the liver.—
Gordon G. Chang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Apr. 2025
-
The Blues may have gotten a fat head leading 4-2 with less than nine minutes left in the game.—
Jeremy Rutherford,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Paunchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paunchy. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
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