Pudgily

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. Having an appearance that is noticeably soft and plump in shape Identifying a body type that is rounded and somewhat heavier in nature Denoting a quality of being notably stout with a gentle and bulky figure
2. In a way that shows a body or form with softness and plumpness
3. Expressing a visibly chubby and gently rounded appearance

Etymology: "Pudgily" is the adverb form of "pudgy," and it is built in the plainest way: "pudgy" plus the adverbial suffix "-ly," which turns an adjective into a description of how something is done or how it looks. So "pudgily" describes something as plump, rounded, or softly heavy in its shape, as in a figure that sits pudgily in a chair. The adjective "pudgy" is the more interesting part of the story, since it is the root that carries the sense. It describes something short and thick, the kind of plumpness that is soft rather than muscular, and it is applied both to people and to small objects. Because the adverb simply inherits that meaning, "pudgily" needs no separate history of its own: it is the adjective's quality applied to the manner of an action or appearance.

Synonyms: chubby, plumply, stoutly

Antonyms: slenderly, thinly, leanly