tubbier; tubbiest
1
: pudgy, fat
2
: sounding dull and without proper resonance or freedom of sound
a tubby violin

Examples of tubby in a Sentence

in America, Santa Claus is portrayed as a jolly but tubby older gentleman
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The structure is like a planetary system with its multiple characters and fascinating satellites: his best friend Ruprecht, a tubby genius; Lori, his unrequited love; Carl the psychopath; Howard the Coward; Father Green a.k.a. Tomi Obaro, Vulture, 21 Nov. 2024 Colin Farrell’s Penguin Is Different From The Comics The original Batman villains were mostly made up of gangsters, and the Penguin first appeared in the early 40’s as a tubby man in a tuxedo and monocle, wielding a variety of gadgets inside his iconic umbrella. Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1807, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of tubby was circa 1807

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tubby.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tubby. Accessed 26 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

tubby

adjective
tubbier; tubbiest

More from Merriam-Webster on tubby

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!