middle-age spread
- noun
:
aumento de peso en la mediana edad
Examples
-
If anyone's suffering from middle-age spread, it's Michael.
Fiction book (2002) -
Many people are concerned about middle-age spread as they enter their 40s, especially around the waist.
-
Staying active can help to reduce the effects of middle-age spread that often occur after turning 50.
-
After years of sedentary work, he began to notice the signs of middle-age spread around his abdomen.
Synonyms
5
7.0
A large belly that sticks out, often in a man
1
1.9
A soft, round body shape with a little extra weight
A belly that sticks out and looks large
How Big
146
3.9
5
7.0
- Canadian
- Baby Talk
106
4.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
middle-age + spread
The phrase transparently combines 'middle-age' (the life period) with 'spread' (an expansion or widening), so a learner who knows both words can infer it refers to an expansion of the body around the waist that occurs in middle age. The metaphorical use of 'spread' to mean widening or increase is straightforward and cross-linguistically common, making the overall meaning predictable from the parts.
Etymology
Middle-age spread comes from the simple image of middle-age and the word spread, meaning 'to get wider', because the waist often looks wider as people get older. So it means 'an increase in body weight around the waist'.