Meaning & use
stocky men
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Meaning
phraseplural
men who are short and wide with a solid, strong-looking body
Grammar: Plural noun phrase; the singular is 'a stocky man'. It describes build, not height alone.
Patterns
- a stocky man
- stocky men with broad shoulders
- short, stocky men
The rugby team was full of stocky men who could push hard in the scrum.
Two stocky men in dark jackets carried the heavy boxes into the shop.
He was a stocky man of about fifty, with thick arms and a low center of gravity.
Common combinations
- short and stocky
- Her father was short and stocky, but very quick on his feet.
- a stocky build
- The coach liked players with a stocky build for the front row.
- stocky and strong
- He was stocky and strong, perfect for lifting sacks all day.
- stocky figure
- A stocky figure appeared at the door and asked for the manager.
Synonyms and how they differ
- thickset
- Very close in meaning, but 'thickset' stresses a heavy, broad frame more than 'stocky' does.
- burly
- Use 'burly' for a big, strong, often tall man; 'stocky' suggests shorter and wider.
- solid
- More general and often approving, meaning strongly built; it does not mention shortness.
Opposites
Word family
- stockily adverb
- In a stocky way: 'He was stockily built.'
- stockiness noun
- The quality of being stocky: 'the stockiness of his build'.
Commonly confused: stocky men or stalky?
stocky men vs stalky
'Stalky' means like a stalk (tall and thin), almost the opposite of 'stocky'. Check the vowel: stocky = short and broad.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'stocky' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A stocky person is short and broad but strong, so lifting a heavy barrel fits. 'Tall and stocky' and 'delicate' contradict the meaning, and 'thin and weak' is the opposite.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “stocky men”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.