PORTLY (portlier, portliest)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected forms: portlier    , portliest   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does portly mean? 

• PORTLY (adjective)
  The adjective PORTLY has 1 sense:

1. euphemisms for 'fat'

  Familiarity information: PORTLY used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PORTLY (adjective)

Comparative: portlier   
Superlative: portliest   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Euphemisms for 'fat'

Synonyms:

portly; stout

Context example:

men are portly and women are stout

Similar:

fat (having an (over)abundance of flesh)

 Context examples 

A moment later the tall and portly form of Mycroft Holmes was ushered into the room.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“Tell me, friend,” said Alleyne to the portly red-faced inn-keeper, “has a knight and a squire passed this way within the hour?”

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The portly client puffed out his chest with an appearance of some little pride and pulled a dirty and wrinkled newspaper from the inside pocket of his greatcoat.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The sight of him put me at my ease, for he was a merry-looking man, handsome too in a portly, full-blooded way, with laughing eyes and pouting, sensitive lips.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

My aunt being supremely indifferent to Mrs. Crupp's opinion and everybody else's, and rather favouring than discouraging the idea, Mrs. Crupp, of late the bold, became within a few days so faint-hearted, that rather than encounter my aunt upon the staircase, she would endeavour to hide her portly form behind doors—leaving visible, however, a wide margin of flannel petticoat—or would shrink into dark corners.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

“Go call Sir Oliver!” said Sir Nigel, and presently the portly knight made his way all astraddle down the slippery deck.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

He was a man of about fifty, tall, portly, and imposing, with a massive, strongly marked face and a commanding figure.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

He was a middle-aged man, portly and affable, with a considerable fund of local lore.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

As he spoke, a heavy footfall was heard without, and the portly knight flung open the door and strode into the room.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“Hola, Gaffer Higginson!” cried Aylward, as he spied the portly figure of the village innkeeper.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)