Meaning & use
podgy
Last updated
UK/ˈpɒdʒi/
US/ˈpɑːdʒi/
Meaning
adjectivecomparable
Slightly fat or plump, often said in a mild or affectionate way.
Grammar: Gradable adjective; comparative 'podgier', superlative 'podgiest'.
Patterns
- podgy face
- podgy fingers
- a bit podgy
The baby had podgy cheeks that everyone wanted to pinch.
He was a podgy boy who loved cakes and never played sports.
After the holidays, I felt a bit podgy around the middle.
Word forms
| comparative | podgier |
|---|---|
| superlative | podgiest |
Common combinations
- podgy cheeks
- The toddler's podgy cheeks were red from running.
- podgy fingers
- She pointed at the cake with podgy fingers.
- a bit podgy
- I'm a bit podgy after Christmas, so I'm dieting.
- podgy face
- His podgy face broke into a wide grin.
Synonyms and how they differ
- chubby
- Chubby is more common in American English and often suggests a healthy, cute roundness.
- plump
- Plump is slightly more polite and can describe adults as well as children.
- overweight
- Overweight is a neutral medical term; it is not affectionate like podgy.
Opposites
Word family
- podginess noun
- The state of being slightly fat.
Commonly confused: podgy or pudgy?
podgy vs pudgy
Pudgy is the usual American spelling and pronunciation; podgy is British.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'podgy' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Podgy' is an adjective describing a slightly fat person or animal. The other options use it as a verb or noun, which is wrong.
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