Meaning & use
roly-poly
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Meanings
adjectivecomparableinformal
Short and plump in a round, often endearing way.
Grammar: Gradable: a roly-poly baby, a roly-polyer figure (rare).
Patterns
- a roly-poly person
- roly-poly cheeks
The baby had roly-poly arms and legs.
He was a roly-poly little man with a cheerful laugh.
nouncountableBritish
A traditional British steamed pudding made of suet pastry rolled around jam or fruit.
Grammar: Countable; often used with 'a' or 'the': a roly-poly for dessert.
Patterns
- a roly-poly
- jam roly-poly
We had jam roly-poly for pudding.
She made a roly-poly with raspberry jam.
Word forms
| comparative | more roly-poly |
|---|---|
| superlative | most roly-poly |
| plural | roly-polies |
Common combinations
- roly-poly baby
- Their roly-poly baby giggled at everyone.
- jam roly-poly
- Jam roly-poly is a classic British dessert.
- roly-poly figure
- The cartoon character has a roly-poly figure.
Synonyms and how they differ
- plump
- More neutral and common; roly-poly is more affectionate and informal.
- chubby
- Often used for babies and children; roly-poly emphasizes roundness and cuteness.
- pudgy
- Similar but can sound slightly less affectionate; roly-poly is usually positive.
Opposites
Commonly confused: roly-poly or roly-poly?
roly-poly vs roly-poly
As a noun, it refers to a pudding in British English, but in American English it can also mean a pill bug (woodlouse).
Practice
Which sentence uses 'roly-poly' correctly as an adjective?
Choose one answer.
Option 1 uses 'roly-poly' as an adjective describing the kitten's round, plump shape. Options 0, 2, and 3 use it as a noun referring to the pudding, which is a different sense.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “roly-poly”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.