flesh

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   The soft parts of a human or animal body, mostly muscle and fat, that lie between the skin and the bones.

   Grammar: Not used with 'a' or in the plural: the knife cut into the flesh.

   Patterns

   • the flesh of something
   • in the flesh

   The thorn pierced the flesh of his thumb.

   The wound was shallow and had not gone deep into the flesh.

   After months of illness, there was little flesh left on his arms.

2. 2noununcountable

   The soft inner part of a fruit or vegetable that people usually eat, as opposed to its skin or seeds.

   Grammar: Usually follows 'the' and describes the inside of a fruit: the flesh of the peach.

   Patterns

   • the flesh of a fruit

   The peach had sweet, juicy flesh that dripped down my chin.

   Scoop the flesh out of the avocado with a spoon.

   The pumpkin's orange flesh is perfect for soup.

3. 3noununcountableliteraryreligion

   The human body considered as separate from the mind or spirit, especially in relation to its weaknesses or desires.

   Grammar: Used in religious or literary contexts and often contrasted with 'spirit': the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

   Patterns

   • the flesh and the spirit

   The monk spoke of resisting the temptations of the flesh.

   The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak, he joked about getting up early.

   Priests often describe the conflict between the flesh and the spirit.

Common combinations

in the flesh

I finally met my favorite author in the flesh.

flesh and blood

The ghost turned out to be real flesh and blood.

flesh wound

The soldier had only a flesh wound and returned to duty.

pierce the flesh

The needle barely pierced the flesh.

flesh out

The author needs to flesh out the main character.

the flesh of the fruit

The flesh of the fruit is sweet and creamy.

Synonyms and how they differ

meat

'Meat' is animal flesh seen as food, whereas 'flesh' is neutral and can also refer to living bodies.

tissue

'Tissue' is a scientific term for a specific kind of body material, while 'flesh' is a general everyday word.

pulp

'Pulp' describes the soft, often wet, inside of fruit, but it can also be mashed material and is not used for bodies.

body

'Body' refers to the whole physical form, while 'flesh' refers to its soft material.

Opposites

Word family

fleshy adjective

having a lot of soft flesh, or thick and juicy

fleshly adjective

relating to the body and its desires; literary

fleshiness noun

the quality of being fleshy

flesh out verb

to add detail to a plan or idea

Commonly confused: flesh or fresh?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “flesh”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words