roly-poly
A person who is round and plump
- noun
- /ˈroʊliˌpoʊli/
- Informal
- The children laughed as the roly-poly man joined them for the game, his round belly shaking with every step.
Examples
-
Roly-poly, ink-fingered MacIvers shrugged.
Fiction book (1999) -
At the fair, we saw a roly-poly clown juggling colorful balls, delighting the audience with his plump figure.
-
The roly-poly toddler waddled across the room, eager to reach her favorite toy.
Synonyms
A slightly chubby person often called this name in a friendly way
is a neutral description of roundness without playful or teasing tone
Antonyms
How Plump
obese
126
3.8
fat
∞
1.0
roly-poly
1
7.7
- Informal
chubby
61
1.0
- Informal
Joe Average
1
5.2
- Informal
thin person
4
2.1
Surface Forms
roly-poly singular
roly-polies plural
Etymology
Roly-poly for a person comes from the idea of roll plus a rhyming touch like polly, because a round body looks as if it could 'roll', so the word describes a cheerful, plump individual.