Meaning & use
fat and short
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
Having a lot of body weight and being small in height.
Grammar: Used after a linking verb or before a noun: the dog was fat and short; a fat and short dog.
Patterns
- be fat and short
- a fat and short animal
The little pony was fat and short, perfect for young riders.
He described himself as fat and short, though his friends disagreed.
The puppy grew into a fat and short adult with a curly tail.
adjectivebefore a noun
Thick in width but not tall in height, used of objects.
Grammar: Describes things, not people: a fat and short candle; a fat and short pillar.
Patterns
- a fat and short candle
- a fat and short column
She lit a fat and short candle on the table.
The vase was fat and short, so it never tipped over.
They planted a fat and short tree that fit under the window.
Common combinations
- fat and short dog
- Their fat and short dog could barely climb the stairs.
- short and fat
- The reversed order 'short and fat' is equally common and often sounds slightly less blunt.
- fat and short candle
- A fat and short candle burned on the windowsill.
- grow fat and short
- The kittens grew fat and short as they matured.
Synonyms and how they differ
- stocky
- Stocky is more neutral and often approving, describing a broad, strong build; fat and short is blunter and can offend.
- stout
- Stout is slightly old-fashioned and often used of older people; it sounds less harsh than fat and short.
- chubby
- Chubby is gentler and usually describes babies or children, not adults.
Opposites
Commonly confused: fat and short or short and fat?
fat and short vs short and fat
The same two adjectives in the opposite order; both are correct, but 'short and fat' is the more usual order in English when describing people.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'fat and short' most naturally?
Choose one answer.
'Fat and short' is an adjective phrase, so it describes a noun like 'candle'. Options 1 and 2 wrongly use it as an adverb, and option 3 wrongly uses it as a verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “fat and short”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.