fat
fat — adjective
1. If a person or animal is fat, their body has more flesh than what people general
If a person or animal is fat, their body has more flesh than what people generally see as normal or healthy.
On her first visit to the clinic, the nurse told Nala she was slightly fat.
The fat stray cat that slept on Ritu's porch no longer chased any mice.
collocation: fat + animal noun for describing pets
Hamza asked his mother if the school doctor would think he was too fat.
A fat pigeon landed on the bench beside Yael and waited for dropped food.
Yuki adopted a stray dog so fat that the vet put it on a strict diet.
- overweight
more neutral and polite; the standard alternative in everyday speech
- obese
medical term; stronger meaning that suggests a serious health condition
- plump
softer and more positive; usually describes a pleasing roundness
- chubby
informal and gentle; often used for children or cheeks
用法筆記
Calling someone 'fat' directly can sound rude or hurtful in most social situations. More neutral words include 'overweight' for adults and 'heavyset' for body builds. In medical contexts, 'obese' is the technical term for a specific level of excess weight.
常見錯誤
2. Noticeably wider or thicker than other things of the same type.
Noticeably wider or thicker than other things of the same type.
Jude pulled a fat dictionary from the shelf to check the spelling of a word.
Christopher lit a fat cigar and sat back in his leather armchair.
collocation: fat + object noun (cigar, book, envelope)
A fat envelope arrived from the lawyer containing all the legal documents.
Eric handed his manager a fat report that had taken three weeks to write.
The chef sliced fat pieces of bread and dipped them in olive oil.
3. In baseball, describing a ball thrown by the pitcher that arrives in a part of t
In baseball, describing a ball thrown by the pitcher that arrives in a part of the strike zone where the batter can hit it with full force.
The pitcher groaned after sending a fat pitch that was hit for a home run.
A fat slider landed right in the middle of the strike zone during the final game of the season.
baseball terminology: fat + pitch type (slider, fastball, curveball)
The coach warned the young pitcher never to throw a fat pitch to a strong batter.
Every hitter on the team hoped for a fat pitch during batting practice.
4. Containing a large amount of grease or oil, used especially when talking about m
Containing a large amount of grease or oil, used especially when talking about meals and ingredients.
Hamza tried to cut down on fat foods like fried chicken and potato chips.
collocation: fat food / fat meat / fat cut
The old recipe called for fat cuts of beef that would cook slowly in the pot.
Gabriel's grandmother always used fat pieces of pork when making the stew.
Roya avoided fat meats and chose grilled fish whenever she ate out.
用法筆記
This sense is gradually being replaced by 'fatty' for describing food ('fatty meat,' 'fatty cheese'), though 'fat' remains common in traditional recipes and older speech.
常見錯誤
5. Used in a small set of fixed expressions to say that the amount of something is
Used in a small set of fixed expressions to say that the amount of something is almost nothing, or that something is very unlikely to happen.
Fat chance! Hyun laughed when her little brother said he would clean his room.
informal exclamation: 'Fat chance!' as a dismissive response
A fat lot of good that advice did for the team when they were losing by twenty points.
fixed phrase: 'a fat lot of good' meaning no use at all
Anna knew it was a fat chance that the last train would still be waiting at the station.
Quinn's umbrella did a fat lot of good in the storm — it broke within five minutes.
- little
neutral word; 'fat lot' is the sarcastic version of 'little'
文法句型
fat chance + [that-clause]
a fat lot of + [noun]
用法筆記
Despite having 'fat' in the phrase, this sense expresses a negative meaning — the opposite of 'a lot.' 'Fat chance' means 'very little chance,' and 'a fat lot' means 'very little.' The tone is sarcastic and informal.
常見錯誤
fat — noun
1. A soft, energy-rich substance stored beneath the skin of living creatures that h
A soft, energy-rich substance stored beneath the skin of living creatures that helps them stay warm and provides fuel when food is scarce.
Bears build up a thick layer of fat before they go into winter sleep.
collocation: layer of fat / build up fat / store fat
The doctor explained to Roya that some body fat is necessary for good health.
Putri learned in biology class that fat keeps marine animals warm in cold waters.
Penguins have a thick layer of fat under their feathers to survive the Antarctic winter.
Chidi read that the body stores extra fat when you eat more calories than you burn.
- adipose tissue
medical/technical term for body fat used by doctors and scientists
用法筆記
In health and fitness contexts, 'body fat' is the standard neutral term. 'Fat' alone can be used informally but may sound negative depending on tone.
常見錯誤
2. Any greasy cooking ingredient sourced from living things such as livestock, fish
Any greasy cooking ingredient sourced from living things such as livestock, fish, or crops, used to prepare and cook meals.
Isabela saved the fat from the bacon to use for frying eggs the next morning.
The recipe says to heat the fat in a large pan before adding the chopped onions.
collocation: heat the fat / cook in fat
Megan prefers to cook with olive oil rather than animal fat from beef or pork.
Vegetable fat is often used in baking to make cakes soft and moist.
Drain the fat from the pan after cooking the minced meat for the spaghetti sauce.
- oil
liquid fat, usually from plants; the most common modern cooking fat
- lard
specifically rendered pork fat used in baking and frying
- shortening
solid vegetable fat used in baking for a tender texture
常見錯誤
fat — verb
1. To give food to a creature so that its body becomes heavier and its flesh increa
To give food to a creature so that its body becomes heavier and its flesh increases, usually for sale or slaughter.
The farmer fattened the pigs with grain for three months before taking them to market.
Some families fat geese for several weeks before the big holiday feast.
In the old days, farmers would fat their chickens on kitchen scraps and corn.
The rancher fatted his cattle on rich grass before the autumn auction.
- slim down
to lose weight, the opposite action
文法句型
fat + [animal/person] + up (on/with) + [food]
用法筆記
This verb is old-fashioned in modern English. The more common equivalent is 'fatten' or the phrasal verb 'fat up.' It is rarely used for humans except in humorous or deliberately old-fashioned speech.