Falstaffian

[ fawl-staf-ee-uhn ]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or having the qualities of Falstaff, especially his robust, bawdy humor, good-natured rascality, and brazen braggadocio:

   Falstaffian wit.

Falstaffian

/ fɔːlˈstɑːfɪən /

adjective

1. jovial, plump, and dissolute

Word History and Origins

Origin of Falstaffian¹

First recorded in 1800–10; Falstaff + -ian

Word History and Origins

Origin of Falstaffian¹

C19: after Sir John Falstaff , a character in Shakespeare's Henry IV, Parts I–II (1597)

Example Sentences

For a performer who was so comfortably Falstaffian, Gambon was remarkably supple in his emotional range, moving from tyrannical to tender with breathtaking ease.

From Los Angeles Times

In Paris, he’s charged with confronting Hemingway, who has assembled a band of resistance fighters but mainly seems to be a Falstaffian self-parody, playacting at past glories.

From Washington Post

It shows a gaunt Corbyn, staring fixedly ahead, alongside a chunky, Falstaffian Johnson, a mischievous smile on his lips.

From The Guardian

Even flat on his back, he cut a shockingly large, Falstaffian figure.

From New York Times

He is Falstaffian when jolly with loathing for Obama, and a Sydney Greenstreet–like kingpin when lifting a finger to squash a career.

From The New Yorker