obesity

noun

ō-ˈbē-sə-tē How to pronounce obesity (audio)
Definition of obesitynext
as in fatness
the condition of having an excess of body fat obesity has been linked to a number of health risks, such as heart disease

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of obesity Novo Nordisk disclosed that its next-generation experimental drug, CagriSema, showed 25% weight loss on average in women with obesity or overweight in a late-stage study, according to Reuters. — Ed Silverman, STAT, 20 Oct. 2026 Sleep apnea, hypertension, obesity and prescription painkiller use added to the risk. — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026 The Harvard study links sleep apnea, hypertension, obesity and prescription painkiller use to elevated risk for both low testosterone and ED, conditions disproportionately common in former NFL players. — Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Oct. 2026 Exercise is another essential way for pets and people to tackle obesity. — Will Boyd, Baltimore Sun, 17 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for obesity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obesity
  1. fatness
  2. fat
  3. weight
  4. adiposity
  5. corpulence
Noun
  • The phrase assumes that fatness belongs firmly in the past, yet the very need for such a term suggests otherwise.
    — Virgie Tovar, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026
  • Because this isn't a book about fatness, despite the central plotline.
    — Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026
Definition of fatness
Noun
  • Beef tallow is rendered beef fat used as a cooking oil, and its appeal in restaurant fryers comes down to flavor and heat tolerance.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2026
  • After all, not all fats—or the foods that contain them—are created equal.
    — Laura Solla, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of fat
Noun
  • Higher energy density could allow automakers to achieve longer driving ranges without increasing battery size or weight.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Flight imposes strict weight limits, so birds pack enormous numbers of very small neurons into very small brains.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of weight
Noun
  • Breastfeeding, adiposity, and precocious puberty in boys and girls.
    — Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025
Definition of adiposity
Noun
  • The annual celebration of ursine corpulence known as Fat Bear Week has officially begun.
    — Hannah Sampson, Washington Post, 18 Sep. 2026
  • For the next fifty years, insurance companies, not doctors, were the chief arbiters of corpulence.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of corpulence

Browse Nearby Words

obese
obesity
obey
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Obesity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obesity. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on obesity

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about obesity

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of grotesque

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All