as in plump
having an excess of body fat
in America, Santa Claus is portrayed as a jolly but tubby older gentleman
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tubby
Disney will be marking the tubby little cubby’s 100th birthday this year with a variety of events, licensing collaboration, publishing releases and merchandise throughout the world.
—
K.j. Yossman, Variety, 10 Apr. 2026
That Pete Hegseth is at the Pentagon instead of tubby Lloyd Austin.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 26 Nov. 2025
It is sold in a curious short and tubby bottle with an original label with an old man with wispy hair and a long beard.
—Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
The structure is like a planetary system with its multiple characters and fascinating satellites: his best friend Ruprecht, a tubby genius; Lori, his unrequited love; Carl the psychopath; Howard the Coward; Father Green a.k.a.
—Tomi Obaro, Vulture, 21 Nov. 2024
Colin Farrell’s Penguin Is Different From The Comics The original Batman villains were mostly made up of gangsters, and the Penguin first appeared in the early 40’s as a tubby man in a tuxedo and monocle, wielding a variety of gadgets inside his iconic umbrella.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
Heavy, ample, plump, tubby—these might as well be curse words.
—TIME, 2 Feb. 2024
This gives it the slight grace of a drawer without sacrificing the functionality of a big tubby bin.
—Kevin Cortez, Popular Mechanics, 17 Aug. 2023
After a long day of tail wagging, tubby rubbing, and shoe chewing, your dog deserves a comfortable place to rest.
—Cai Cramer, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2023
K.j. Yossman, Variety, 10 Apr. 2026
That Pete Hegseth is at the Pentagon instead of tubby Lloyd Austin.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 26 Nov. 2025
It is sold in a curious short and tubby bottle with an original label with an old man with wispy hair and a long beard.
—Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
The structure is like a planetary system with its multiple characters and fascinating satellites: his best friend Ruprecht, a tubby genius; Lori, his unrequited love; Carl the psychopath; Howard the Coward; Father Green a.k.a.
—Tomi Obaro, Vulture, 21 Nov. 2024
Colin Farrell’s Penguin Is Different From The Comics The original Batman villains were mostly made up of gangsters, and the Penguin first appeared in the early 40’s as a tubby man in a tuxedo and monocle, wielding a variety of gadgets inside his iconic umbrella.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
Heavy, ample, plump, tubby—these might as well be curse words.
—TIME, 2 Feb. 2024
This gives it the slight grace of a drawer without sacrificing the functionality of a big tubby bin.
—Kevin Cortez, Popular Mechanics, 17 Aug. 2023
After a long day of tail wagging, tubby rubbing, and shoe chewing, your dog deserves a comfortable place to rest.
—Cai Cramer, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tubby
Adjective
-
Packed with multiple forms of hyaluronic acid, this milky lotion promises plump, glassy skin.—
Anita Bhagwandas,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Niacinamide helps brighten and even things out, while hyaluronic acid floods skin with hydration for a plump, fresh look.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The authors argued that the typical American diet contained excessive calories and fat and lacked sufficient amounts of complex carbohydrates and dietary fiber.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
30 Apr. 2026
-
To celebrate and raise funds and awareness, Katmai hosts Fat Bear Week, an annual tournament every fall where nature enthusiasts can vote online for Katmai’s fattest bear.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Twin sisters Jordan and Jaedyn Gomez, playing for Boone, lost their second round individual bracket doubles match 6-0, 6-0 against Doral Academy’s top seeded duo of Payton Seidle-Lubowitz and Stefany Zamora.—
Buddy Collings,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The product design for the pull-on skinny and flare denim sought to tackle frequent fit issues women have with jeans—such as waist gaps and hip dips—with waist-smoothing paneling and padding and contour seaming to lift and round wearers’ hips.—
Sarah Jones,
Footwear News,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tubby.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tubby. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
