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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Recent Examples of potbellied
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
Other attractions include a catch-and-release fishing pond, winding mazes, and a petting zoo featuring potbellied pigs Big Mama and Elmer.
—Sophia Solano, Washington Post, 16 Sep. 2022
See All Example Sentences for potbellied
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
Other attractions include a catch-and-release fishing pond, winding mazes, and a petting zoo featuring potbellied pigs Big Mama and Elmer.
—Sophia Solano, Washington Post, 16 Sep. 2022
See All Example Sentences for potbellied
Recent Examples of Synonyms for potbellied
Adjective
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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
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Moustache joined my plump tortoiseshell Toffee, the progeny of frisky barn cats, an elderly rabbit rescued from neglect, and my best friend Bacon, a good dog adopted from Lifeline Puppy Rescue years before.—
Krista Kafer,
Denver Post,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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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
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The healthy fats in the avocado also help your body better absorb the fat-soluble vitamin A and antioxidants present in the mango, maximizing the nutritional impact of every bite.—
Lauren Manaker,
SELF,
2 Apr. 2026
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Sardines are naturally oily and have a higher fat content, which favors omega-3 delivery, while still providing strong protein.—
Anna Giorgi,
Verywell Health,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Potbellied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/potbellied. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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