Corpulentness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The condition characterized by having an abundance of body fat that contributes to a larger physique
2. A state in which a person possesses a significant excess of mass and body fat, typically implying a lack of health
3. The quality of having an unusually large amount of body fat and weight that leads to a bulky or heavy appearance

Etymology: "Corpulentness" is simply "corpulent" with the suffix "-ness" added, and the suffix is the more interesting half. "Corpulent" came into English from Latin "corpulentus," meaning "fleshy" or "stout," built from "corpus," body. The "-ness" ending has a much longer pedigree: it descends from an Old English noun-forming suffix, ultimately from a Proto-Germanic root, and it has been used to turn adjectives into nouns of state or quality for more than a thousand years. Because "-ness" can be attached to almost any adjective, English speakers can create abstract nouns on demand. "Corpulentness" therefore names the quality of being corpulent, the condition rather than the person. It is a plain, transparent formation, and the meaning follows directly from its parts.

Synonyms: obesity, fatness, overweight, plumpness, bulkiness

Antonyms: thinness, slimness, leanness, scrawniness, emaciation