meat on one's bones

noun

An amount of flesh on one's body that prevents one from being very thin.

“I'd rather buy a truck than a car; I need something with more meat on its bones.”

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Meanings

nounmeat on one's bones (uncountable)
  1. idiomaticuncountableAn amount of flesh on one's body that prevents one from being very thin.
  2. broadlyuncountableAn amount of mass, substance, or strength on or within something's body.

    I'd rather buy a truck than a car; I need something with more meat on its bones.

    1 more example

    You're dressing up as a canary? Can't you find something with a little more meat on its bones, like an eagle?

Cite this entry
APA

meat on one's bones. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/meat%20on%20one's%20bones

MLA

“meat on one's bones.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/meat%20on%20one's%20bones. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “meat on one's bones,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/meat%20on%20one's%20bones.

Source: meat on one's bones on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.