flabby

flabby
flabbily, adv.flabbiness, n.
/flab"ee/, adj., flabbier, flabbiest.
1. hanging loosely or limply, as flesh or muscles; flaccid.
2. having such flesh.
3. lacking strength or determination.
[1690-1700; appar. expressive alter. of earlier flappy, with same sense; see FLAP, -Y1; cf. late ME flabband (attested once), evidently with sense "flapping"]

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • flabby — flab by (fl[a^]b b[y^]), a. [See {Flap}.] Yielding to the touch, and easily moved or shaken; hanging loose by its own weight; wanting firmness; flaccid; as, flabby flesh. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • flabby — [flab′ē] adj. flabbier, flabbiest [var. of flappy < FLAP] 1. lacking firmness; limp and soft; flaccid [flabby muscles] 2. lacking force; weak flabbily adv. flabbiness n …   English World dictionary

  • flabby — (adj.) 1690s, variant of flappy, which is recorded in the sense of softly fleshy from 1590s; see FLAP (Cf. flap). Related: Flabbily; flabbiness …   Etymology dictionary

  • flabby — flaccid, floppy, *limp, flimsy, sleazy Analogous words: *loose, relaxed, slack, lax: *soft: yielding, caving in (see YIELD vb): *powerless, impotent: spiritless, listless, enervated, *languid …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • flabby — [adj] baggy, fat drooping, enervated, flaccid, flexuous, floppy*, gone to seed*, hanging, irresilient, lax, limp, loose, out of condition*, out of shape*, pendulous, rusty, sagging, shapeless, slack, sloppy, soft, tender, toneless, unfit,… …   New thesaurus

  • flabby — ► ADJECTIVE (flabbier, flabbiest) 1) (of a part of a person s body) soft, loose, and fleshy. 2) not tightly controlled and therefore ineffective. DERIVATIVES flabbily adverb flabbiness noun. ORIGIN alteration of earlier flappy …   English terms dictionary

  • flabby — [[t]flæ̱bi[/t]] flabbier, flabbiest 1) ADJ GRADED (disapproval) Flabby people are rather fat, with loose flesh over their bodies. He doesn t do anything physical. So he must be flabby and unfit... My bulging thighs and flabby stomach made me… …   English dictionary

  • flabby — UK [ˈflæbɪ] / US adjective Word forms flabby : adjective flabby comparative flabbier superlative flabbiest 1) flabby flesh is loose and fat a flabby stomach 2) British not effective or powerful enough flabby phrases/arguments Derived word:… …   English dictionary

  • flabby — flab|by [ˈflæbi] adj informal [Date: 1600 1700; Origin: Perhaps from flappy, from flap] 1.) having unattractive soft loose flesh rather than strong muscles ▪ a flabby stomach 2.) used to describe something that is weak or not effective ≠… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • flabby — flab|by [ flæbi ] adjective 1. ) flabby flesh is loose and fat: a flabby stomach 2. ) BRITISH not effective or powerful enough ╾ flab|bi|ness noun uncount …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • flabby — adjective informal 1 having soft, loose fat rather than strong muscles: She s getting old and flabby. 2 a flabby argument, excuse etc is weak and not effective flabbiness noun (U) …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

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