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roly-poly

roly-poly

1 7.7
A person who is round and plump
  • noun
  • /ˈroʊliˌpoʊli/
  • Informal
translation icon : gordito
  • 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

butterball
vsroly-poly
  • Offensive
6 7.3

A slightly chubby person often called this name in a friendly way

is a neutral description of roundness without playful or teasing tone

Antonyms

314 1.0

Having little body fat and a slim shape

60 1.0

Thin and with little body fat

How Plump

obese
126 3.8
fat
1.0
roly-poly
  • Informal
1 7.7
chubby
  • Informal
61 1.0
Joe Average
  • Informal
1 5.2
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.