fattened; fattening
fa-tə-niŋ 
ˈfat-niŋˈ
1
a
: to make fat, fleshy, or plump
especially
: to feed (an animal) for slaughter
b
: to make more substantial
2
: to make fertile
: to become fat
Examples of fatten in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The scammer’s victim is the pig, slowly fattened for slaughter.
—
David Yaffe-Bellany, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025
Washington’s secret code to overspending, steering tax dollars to liberal allies, and fattening the federal bureaucracy is finally being revealed by President Donald Trump’s DOGE team after decades of stonewalling oversight efforts, according to House Speaker Mike Johnson.
—Paul Bedard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 16 Feb. 2025
Usually owned by corporations, the birds stay long enough for contract farmers to fatten them up for slaughter.
—Gavin Off, Charlotte Observer, 26 Jan. 2025
Last year the other four AL Central teams got to fatten up against the White Sox, who finished as the worst team in modern MLB history.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 2 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for fatten 
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.
David Yaffe-Bellany, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025
Washington’s secret code to overspending, steering tax dollars to liberal allies, and fattening the federal bureaucracy is finally being revealed by President Donald Trump’s DOGE team after decades of stonewalling oversight efforts, according to House Speaker Mike Johnson.
—Paul Bedard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 16 Feb. 2025
Usually owned by corporations, the birds stay long enough for contract farmers to fatten them up for slaughter.
—Gavin Off, Charlotte Observer, 26 Jan. 2025
Last year the other four AL Central teams got to fatten up against the White Sox, who finished as the worst team in modern MLB history.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 2 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for fatten
Dictionary Entries Near fatten
Cite this Entry
“Fatten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fatten. Accessed 23 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share