flesh
flesh — noun
1. the soft layer of muscle and fat located between the outer skin and the skeleton
the soft layer of muscle and fat located between the outer skin and the skeleton of humans and animals; also, the edible portion of vegetables and fruit that sits beneath the peel or outer rind.
The chef carved through the soft flesh of the ripe mango with ease.
of + fruit name
The fishhook sank deep into the flesh of Eri's palm.
Beneath the tough outer peel, the avocado's flesh was soft and creamy.
Sharks can smell blood and tear through flesh within seconds.
collocation: tear through flesh
Asher bit into the peach, and the sweet juicy flesh burst in his mouth.
fruit flesh as food
- raw flesh
- tender flesh
- flesh wound
- flesh and bone
- tear through flesh
Usage Note
Uncountable in almost all contexts. When referring to the flesh of a specific animal as food, 'meat' is more common outside of technical or descriptive writing.
Common Mistakes
2. the visible surface of a human body when no clothes are covering it and it can b
the visible surface of a human body when no clothes are covering it and it can be felt or seen.
The sun burned Hamza's bare flesh while he slept on the beach.
bare flesh
Lauren felt the cool silk fabric brush against the flesh of her shoulders.
The tight collar chafed the flesh on Rodrigo's neck until it turned red.
Shirin wrapped a scarf around the exposed flesh of her neck against the cold wind.
exposed flesh
- bare flesh
- exposed flesh
- flesh against
- naked flesh
- skin
the neutral, everyday term; 'flesh' in this sense carries a more physical or sensuous tone
- clothing
what covers the flesh on the body
Usage Note
Commonly paired with modifiers like 'bare,' 'exposed,' or 'naked' to emphasise that the skin is visible. Often appears in descriptions of physical sensation, injury, or temperature.
Common Mistakes
3. the human body thought of as a physical, material thing with needs, desires, and
the human body thought of as a physical, material thing with needs, desires, and weaknesses, especially when contrasted with the mind, spirit, or soul.
During Lent, Pastor Tunde preached about the struggle between the spirit and the flesh.
contrast with spirit
Cyrus believed the needs of the flesh were less important than those of the soul.
Élise struggled with the desires of the flesh, wanting both comfort and discipline.
desires of the flesh
Brooke's instructor told her to honor the wisdom of the flesh as well as the mind.
- sins of the flesh
- weakness of the flesh
- desires of the flesh
- pleasures of the flesh
- body
neutral term without the spiritual or moral overtones of 'flesh'
- mortal coil
poetic or archaic; 'flesh' is the more common modern choice
Usage Note
Most common in religious, philosophical, or literary writing. Frequently appears in set phrases such as 'the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak,' 'sins of the flesh,' and 'pleasures of the flesh.'
Common Mistakes
flesh out
phrasal verbto add more information or detail to a plan, idea, story, or argument so that it becomes fuller and more complete.
The manager asked the team to flesh out their proposal with specific cost estimates.
Ishaan spent the weekend fleshing out the main characters for his novel.
in the flesh
idiomphysically present in person, rather than seen in a picture, video, or described from a distance.
Eleni had watched the singer on YouTube for years and finally saw her in the flesh at the concert.
The online profile made him look taller, but in the flesh he was quite short.
flesh and blood
idioma living human being with normal human weaknesses, needs, and limitations.
The hero in the film seems invincible, but he is flesh and blood like the rest of us.
a member of your family; someone you are related to by birth.
Andrew could not believe his brother would lie to him — they were the same flesh and blood.
to cause a strong feeling of fear, disgust, or unease, as if something is crawling on your skin.
The old basement was so dark and damp that it made our flesh creep just standing at the top of the stairs.
a pound of flesh
idioman amount of money or something else that a person is owed, especially when demanding it creates hardship or seems cruel.
The landlord demanded his pound of flesh, forcing the family to pay every last cent of the rent.
to add necessary details or substance to a basic idea, plan, or argument, making it more complete.
The committee had a rough plan, and the project manager was asked to put flesh on its bones.
used to say that you have good intentions but lack the physical or mental strength to carry them out.
I planned to wake up at five for a run, but the spirit is willing and the flesh is weak — I stayed in bed.
press the flesh
idiomto shake hands with many people, especially in a political or public-relations context.
The candidate spent the afternoon pressing the flesh at the town market.
A person who is part of your family.
Maya would never betray her own flesh and blood.
How could you abandon your own flesh and blood?
To die.
All living creatures eventually go the way of all flesh.
The old king knew he would soon go the way of all flesh.
The full amount that someone owes you, even if it causes them trouble.
The bank demanded its pound of flesh from the struggling farmer.
Why do you always want your pound of flesh from every deal?
press (the) flesh
idiomTo greet people by shaking hands, especially in a political campaign.
The candidate spent hours pressing the flesh at the fair.
Pressing the flesh is essential for winning local elections.
To add more details to a basic idea to make it complete.
The designer put flesh on the bones of the initial sketch.
Can you put flesh on your proposal before the meeting?
You want to do good things but are too lazy or weak to do them.
I planned to exercise, but the spirit is willing and the flesh is weak.
He said the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak after skipping work.
A person or thing that continuously annoys someone or causes problems.
The noisy neighbor was a thorn in Sara's flesh for years.
That broken printer has been a thorn in my side all week.
flesh — verb
1. to add more information, specifics, or depth to something such as a plan, idea,
to add more information, specifics, or depth to something such as a plan, idea, piece of writing, or argument, making it fuller and more convincing.
The outline was good, but the author needed to flesh out each chapter before submitting it.
flesh out + noun (chapter)
Pim presented a rough sketch and promised to flesh it out with more details the following week.
separable: flesh + pronoun + out
The architect fleshed out the basic design by drawing each room in full detail.
Before the meeting, Christopher fleshed out his slides with recent sales figures.
- flesh out a plan
- flesh out a character
- flesh out an idea
- flesh out details
- elaborate on
more formal; emphasises explaining at greater length
- expand
broader; can refer to size, scope, or detail
- develop
common alternative; suggests gradual improvement
Grammar Patterns
flesh out + noun
flesh + noun + out
flesh out + wh-clause
Usage Note
The object can come between 'flesh' and 'out' (flesh it out, flesh the plan out). Most commonly used with an object referring to an abstract thing: a proposal, a story, a character, a theory.
Common Mistakes
2. to scrape away the remaining flesh and fat from the inside of an animal skin as
to scrape away the remaining flesh and fat from the inside of an animal skin as one stage in preparing leather.
The tanner used a curved blade to flesh the cowhide before soaking it in lime.
technical sense
After the hide was fleshed, the leather worker stretched it tightly over a wooden frame.
passive: was fleshed
The apprentice learned to flesh a sheepskin without cutting holes in the hide itself.
The old tanner showed Rodrigo how to flesh the goat hide on the wooden beam.
- flesh a hide
- flesh a skin
- fleshing knife
- scrape
a more general word; 'flesh' is the specific technical term for this leather-making process
Grammar Patterns
flesh + noun (hide/skin)
Usage Note
A technical term used almost exclusively in leather-working and tanning. Unlikely to be encountered in everyday conversation outside of craft contexts.
3. to grow more flesh on the body, typically as a result of improved nutrition or h
to grow more flesh on the body, typically as a result of improved nutrition or health; to become plumper or thicker in physical form.
The rescue dog began to flesh out after three months of regular meals.
qualifier: began to flesh out
After the drought broke, the cattle fleshed out and their coats grew glossy again.
The skinny kitten fleshed up noticeably within weeks of being adopted.
fleshed up variant
The sick parrot fleshed out after Shirin gave it the right food and care.
- flesh out after
- begin to flesh out
- thin out
to lose flesh; become leaner
- waste away
to lose flesh from illness or lack of food
Grammar Patterns
flesh out; flesh up
Usage Note
Typically used with 'out' or (less commonly) 'up.' Distinguish from verb sense 1: this sense requires no object and describes natural physical growth, not adding detail to something abstract.
Common Mistakes
4. to develop larger, more defined muscles through exercise and training, giving th
to develop larger, more defined muscles through exercise and training, giving the body a heavier and more solid appearance.
Christopher had fleshed out considerably since he started weight training in January.
fitness context
The rugby player fleshed out his shoulders and chest during the off-season.
flesh out + body part
After months of lifting, Tunde's arms had fleshed out until his sleeves were tight.
Andrew's arms had fleshed out noticeably after he joined the gym and started lifting weights.
- flesh out with training
- fleshed out arms
- fleshed out chest
- bulk up
the more common idiomatic expression for building muscle mass
- build muscle
straightforward, neutral phrasing
- slim down
to reduce body size through diet or exercise
- lose muscle
to decrease muscle mass
Grammar Patterns
flesh out + noun (body part)
Usage Note
Distinguish from verb sense 3 (BECOME FLESHY): this sense implies intentional muscle growth through exercise rather than natural gain from nutrition. Less common than synonyms 'bulk up' or 'build muscle.'
Common Mistakes
Word family
- fleshyadjectiveB2
- fleshlyadjectiveC1
- fleshinessnounC1
- fleshlessadjectiveC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
'Flesh,' 'tissue,' 'meat,' 'pulp,' and 'muscle' all refer to bodily or organic soft matter, but they differ in context and scope. 'Flesh' is the broad everyday term for the soft substance covering the bones of humans and animals, as well as the edible interior of fruit. 'Tissue' is a scientific or medical term referring to the cellular structure — you would hear 'muscle tissue' or 'connective tissue' in a biology class, not 'flesh' in that context. 'Meat' is reserved for animal flesh as food; you buy 'meat' at the butcher, not 'flesh.' 'Pulp' is limited to the soft, moist part of fruits and vegetables — you scoop 'pulp' from a citrus fruit, not 'flesh.' 'Muscle' is a specific kind of flesh, the fibrous tissue that moves the body. For example: 'The knife cut through the flesh of the thigh' (general), but 'The surgeon repaired the damaged muscle tissue' (specific/medical).
Common collocations
Nouns
- flesh wound
- flesh tone
- flesh color
Phrases
- flesh and blood
- flesh and bone
Prepositions
- in the flesh
- of the flesh
- through flesh
- against the flesh
Etymology
The word comes from Old English flǣsc, which can be traced back through Germanic origins (related to Dutch vlees and German Fleisch) to an ancient root meaning 'to cut' or 'to tear.' The contrast between 'flesh' (the physical body) and 'spirit' or 'soul' developed through early Christian writings, where the Greek word sarx was translated into English as 'flesh' to represent the material, mortal side of human nature.