What does corpulent mean?
"Corpulent" is a formal adjective describing a person who is excessively fat — someone with a large, heavy, bulking body. Derived from the Latin "corpus," meaning body, it entered English in the late Middle Ages via Old French and has long been associated with literary and historical description: Dickensian merchants, indulgent monarchs, and jovial squires are its natural inhabitants. The word is more elevated than plain "fat" but less clinical than "obese," and it often carries a faintly humorous or satirical edge rather than neutral medical meaning. It applies almost exclusively to people and is now somewhat old-fashioned, appearing more frequently in period fiction and comic writing than in everyday speech. Writers reach for it when they want precision with a touch of colour — though because it comments directly on body size, using it about a real person risks giving offence. Its rhyming neighbour "opulent" (luxurious) is an entirely different word, despite the similar sound.
adjectiveExcessively fat; having a large, bulky body.
- Excessively fat or overweight (of a person); having a large, heavy body. This is essentially the only sense in modern English.
"The corpulent merchant struggled to squeeze into the narrow carriage seat."
"A corpulent man in a tweed waistcoat presided over the tavern's corner table."
"The portrait depicts a corpulent monarch lounging amid the spoils of his reign."
"Corpulent" comes straight from the Latin word for "body" — the same root that gives us "corpse" — so calling someone corpulent literally means they are, quite substantially, all body.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of corpulent
"Corpulent" derives from Latin "corpulentus," meaning "fleshy" or "of large body," built on "corpus," the Latin word for "body." It passed into English through Old French "corpulent" in the late Middle Ages, retaining both form and sense remarkably unchanged. The same Latin root "corpus" underlies many English relatives, including "corporeal," "corps," "corpse," and "incorporate."
How corpulent is actually used
"Corpulent" is formal and somewhat literary or old-fashioned in tone; it carries a faintly humorous or gently satirical connotation rather than a purely clinical one, and it is applied almost exclusively to people. Because it directly comments on someone's body size, it can cause offence in ordinary conversation and is best reserved for descriptive, historical, or comic writing.
Easily confused with corpulent
"Opulent" means luxurious or richly abundant, while "corpulent" means excessively fat — the words rhyme and look similar but have entirely unrelated meanings.