View synonyms for portly

portly

[ pawrt-lee, pohrt- ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

, port·li·er, port·li·est.

portly

/ ˈpɔːtlɪ /

Origin of portly¹

1520–30; port ⁵ (noun) + -ly

Origin of portly¹

C16: from port ⁵(in the sense: deportment, bearing)

How many Benny Hill scenes involved the creepy, portly man zooming about perilously near an unfathomably stacked woman?

The portly, balding Sabah, a father of two, glances nervously at the television.

A moment later I saw my scowling taxi driver darting toward the ticket booth with a companion, a portly man in a checked shirt.

From Alec “The Bloviator” Baldwin to “portly pepperpot” Monica Lewinsky, revisit his chief rogue targets.

He was a big man, and looked bigger than he was; good-looking too; ruddy, portly, well-dressed and formal.

In appearance he was tall and portly, and his bearing, carriage and presence were gentlemanly and refined.

A portly woman, whom Isabel knew to be the mother of a brood, was far more anxious to please.

Madame Valmonde bent her portly figure over Desiree and kissed her, holding her an instant tenderly in her arms.

As he was old and portly, and I young and spare, this disguise had cost me no little thought and labor.

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