Meaning & use
big body
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Meanings
nouncountableinformalslang
A person with a large, strong, or impressive physical build, often used admiringly.
Grammar: Countable; can be used as a term of address or description.
Patterns
- a big body
- be a big body
He's a big body, so he plays on the front line of the rugby team.
In the rap scene, being a big body can mean you have a commanding presence.
She walked in like a big body, owning the room.
nouncountableinformal
A large physical frame or physique, especially one that is muscular or heavy.
Grammar: Often used with a possessive: his big body.
Patterns
- someone's big body
- have a big body
His big body made it hard for him to fit into the small car.
The wrestler's big body was intimidating to his opponents.
She works out to maintain her big body.
Word forms
| plural | big bodies |
|---|
Common combinations
- a big body
- He's a big body on the basketball court.
- big body energy
- She walked in with big body energy, confident and strong.
- big body frame
- His big body frame makes him suited for heavy lifting.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hulk
- Refers to a very large, heavy person or thing, often implying clumsiness, while 'big body' is more neutral or admiring.
- giant
- Suggests extremely large size, often in a fantastical or exaggerated way; 'big body' is more literal about physical build.
Opposites
Commonly confused: big body or big-bodied?
big body vs big-bodied
An adjective meaning having a large body; 'big body' is a noun phrase.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'big body' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The correct answer is A because 'big body' is a noun phrase describing a person's large physique. B uses it as a verb, which is incorrect. C uses it as a verb with -ing, which is not standard. D confuses it with a type of car, which is not the meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “big body”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.