chubby

chubby — adjective

1. having a pleasantly round and soft body shape, especially used to describe babie

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

having a pleasantly round and soft body shape, especially used to describe babies and young children in a positive and affectionate way

Example

The baby's chubby cheeks made everyone want to squeeze them gently.

collocation: chubby cheeks

Aiko's little brother has such a chubby face that he looks like a doll.

collocation: chubby face

Common collocations
  • chubby cheeks
  • chubby face
  • chubby baby
  • chubby fingers
  • chubby legs
  • chubby kitten
  • chubby toddler
Synonyms
  • plump

    more neutral and polite; the best choice for describing adults without sounding childish or rude

  • pudgy

    more informal, often used for small body parts like fingers or hands; less affectionate than chubby

  • chunky

    suggests solid thickness rather than soft roundness; can apply to objects (a chunky sweater)

Antonyms
  • slim

    describes a thin, well-proportioned body; the opposite of round and soft

  • skinny

    very thin, often in a way that is considered unattractive; opposite of the positive fullness conveyed by chubby

Usage Note

Used positively, especially for babies and young children. Describing an adult as 'chubby' can be impolite — use 'plump' instead.

Common Mistakes

The woman is chubby but still beautiful.' (can sound rude for adults).
The woman has a plump figure and looks beautiful.
'chubby' is best for babies and children; 'plump' is more polite for adults.
My grandfather is chubby and healthy.
My grandfather is a bit plump and healthy.
'chubby' for older adults may sound disrespectful.

Word family

  • chubbiness
    nounB2
  • chubbier
    adjective (comparative)B1
  • chubbiest
    adjective (superlative)B1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe a rounded or thick body shape, but they carry different tones. Chubby is the most affectionate and positive term, commonly used for babies, young children, and even baby animals. Plump is more neutral and polite — it is the safest choice for describing adults ('a plump woman'). Pudgy is more informal and often singles out body parts ('pudgy fingers'); it lacks the warm, cute feeling of chubby. Chunky suggests solid thickness rather than soft roundness and is used for both people and objects ('a chunky sweater'). If you want to compliment a baby's roundness, use chubby. To describe an adult politely, choose plump.

plump ↗pudgychunky

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • slightly chubby
  • a little chubby
  • quite chubby
  • rather chubby

Phrases

  • chubby little [noun]
  • nice and chubby

Etymology

GermanicEnglish

Chubby first appeared in English in the early 1600s. It was formed from 'chub' — a short, thick freshwater fish with a noticeably round body — plus the suffix '-y', meaning 'having the qualities of'. The fish's plump appearance gave rise to the adjective describing round, soft body shapes.