Meanings
comparative tubbier · superlative tubbiest
- stout, rotund
The clerk vanished, to be replaced a minute later by a tubby Indian with exhausted, visionary eyes.
1986, John le Carré, A Perfect Spy1 more example
Grace bent to her oars with a springing verve and force which made the tubby little boat draw towards the shore, the whispering lapse of water gliding under its sides all the while.
1895, S. R. Crockett, A Cry Across the Black Water - Resembling a tub
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
From tub + -y. False cognate with chubby, even though they are often interchangeable.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian дундест, тантурест
- дундест (dundest)stout, rotund
- тантурест (tanturest)stout, rotund
Catalan rabassut
- rabassutstout, rotund
French dodu, rondelet
- dodustout, rotund
- rondeletstout, rotund
German moppelig, pummelig
- moppeligstout, rotund
- pummeligstout, rotund
- rundlichstout, rotund
- dickstout, rotund
- fassartigresembling a tub
- bauchigresembling a tub
- dumpfsounding dull
- Dickerchenan overweight person
Hungarian köpcös
- köpcösstout, rotund
Māori kunekune, takapū
- kunekunestout, rotund
- takapūstout, rotund
- pukunatistout, rotund
Polish baryłkowaty
- baryłkowatystout, rotund
Spanish gordito
- gorditostout, rotund
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with tubby
All rhymes →Cite this entry
tubby. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tubby
“tubby.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tubby. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tubby,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tubby.
Source: tubby on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.