Meaning & use

roly-poly

adjective·Everyday

Short and plump in a round, often endearing way.

See it in a sentence

The roly-poly puppy tumbled clumsily across the grass, chasing its own tail.

Her roly-poly cheeks made her look even more cheerful when she smiled.

A note on using this word

Roly-poly is informal and generally affectionate rather than critical, often used to describe babies, animals, or cartoon characters.

Words with a similar meaning

chubbydumpy

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

Another way to use it

2. noun

A traditional British steamed pudding made of suet pastry rolled around jam or fruit.

Grandma served warm roly-poly with custard for dessert every Sunday.

Make it your own

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