Paunchy

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈpɔːnt͡ʃi/

Definitions

1. Characterized by an excess of body fat, especially around the stomach area, resulting in a bulging or rounded waistline
2. Describing a figure that features a pronounced belly, often indicating overweightness concentrated in the abdominal region
3. Having a noticeable rounded belly that extends outward from the body

Etymology: Paunchy is about as plain as English adjectives get: it is simply "paunch" with the adjective-forming suffix "-y" added to it. The suffix "-y" has been used this way since Old English, when a form like "-ig" or "-iġ" turned nouns into adjectives meaning "having the quality of" or "full of" the noun, so "paunchy" describes someone who has a paunch. The "-y" ending is the same one you find in words such as "hairy", "leafy" and "milky". The base noun "paunch" has a longer and more winding history. It came into Middle English from Old French "panche", which in turn came from Latin "pantex", meaning the belly or the entrails. Over time "paunch" narrowed from the whole belly to the rounded, protruding part of it, which is the sense the adjective inherits.

Synonyms: stout, portly, obese, chubby, heavyset

Antonyms: slim, thin, lean, svelte, lanky