verb · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ˈfætən/
[ˈfæʔn̩]
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ætən
CMU ARPABET:F AE1 T AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
verb
Meaning 1
To cause (a person or animal) to be fat or fatter.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
We must fatten the turkey in time for Thanksgiving.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To become fat or fatter.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
Examples
He gradually fattened in the five years after getting married.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: gain weight, put on weight
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To make thick or thicker (often something containing paper, especially money).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
To become thick or thicker.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
verb
Meaning 5
To make (soil) fertile and fruitful.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
to fatten land
1612, Joseph Hall, Contemplations vpon the Principall Passages of the Holie Storie, London: Sa. Macham, Volume 1, Book 4, p. 333, As the riuer of Nilus was to Egypt in steed of heauen to moisten and fatten the earth; so their confidence was more in it then in heauen;
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: enrich
Antonyms: none provided
6
verb
Meaning 6
To become fertile and fruitful.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
verb
Meaning 7
make fat or plump
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
We will plump out that poor starving child
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: fat, flesh out, fill out, plump, plump out, fatten out, fatten up
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: change, alter, modify
History
Etymology
From fat + -en.
Across languages
Translations
131 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Albanian:
trrash maj (gheg)
— to cause to be fatter
Arabic:
سَمَّنَ
(sammana)
— to cause to be fatter
Arabic:
أَسْمَنَ
(ʔasmana)
— to cause to be fatter
Bulgarian:
гоя
(goja)
— to cause to be fatter
Bulgarian:
угоявам
(ugojavam)
— to cause to be fatter
Bulgarian:
угоя
(ugoja)
— to cause to be fatter
Catalan:
engreixar
— to cause to be fatter
Czech:
vykrmit
— to cause to be fatter
Czech:
vykrmovat
— to cause to be fatter
Dutch:
vetmesten
— to cause to be fatter
Egyptian:
w-S-A-G42
(wšꜣ)
— to cause to be fatter
Estonian:
nuumama
— to cause to be fatter
Estonian:
rammustama
— to cause to be fatter
Finnish:
lihottaa
— to cause to be fatter
French:
engraisser
— to cause to be fatter
Galician:
engordar
— to cause to be fatter
Galician:
cebar
— to cause to be fatter
Galician:
encaldar
— to cause to be fatter
German:
mästen
— to cause to be fatter
Gothic:
𐌰𐌻𐌾𐌰𐌽
(aljan)
— to cause to be fatter
Greek:
παχαίνω
(pachaíno)
— to cause to be fatter
Greek:
χοντραίνω
(chontraíno)
— to cause to be fatter
Ancient Greek:
σιτεύω
(siteúō)
— to cause to be fatter
Ancient Greek:
πιαίνω
(piaínō)
— to cause to be fatter
Ancient Greek:
παχύνω
(pakhúnō)
— to cause to be fatter
Hungarian:
hizlal
— to cause to be fatter
Ido:
grasigar
— to cause to be fatter
Indonesian:
menggemukkan
— to cause to be fatter
Irish:
beathaigh
— to cause to be fatter
Irish:
ramhraigh
— to cause to be fatter
Italian:
ingrassare
— to cause to be fatter
Korean:
살찌우다
(saljjiuda)
— to cause to be fatter
Latin:
sagīnō
— to cause to be fatter
Latin:
farciō
— to cause to be fatter
Macedonian:
дебели
(debeli)
— to cause to be fatter
Māori:
whakamōmona
— to cause to be fatter
Occitan:
engraissar
— to cause to be fatter
Old English:
mæstan
— to cause to be fatter
Polish:
tuczyć
— to cause to be fatter
Polish:
utuczyć
— to cause to be fatter
Portuguese:
engordar
— to cause to be fatter
Portuguese:
cevar
— to cause to be fatter
Romanian:
îngrășa
— to cause to be fatter
Russian:
отка́рмливать
(otkármlivatʹ)
— to cause to be fatter
Russian:
откорми́ть
(otkormítʹ)
— to cause to be fatter
Lower Sorbian:
kjarmiś
— to cause to be fatter
Spanish:
engordar
— to cause to be fatter
Swedish:
göda
— to cause to be fatter
Turkish:
semirtmek
— to cause to be fatter
Turkish:
şişmanlatmak
— to cause to be fatter
Turkish:
beslemek
— to cause to be fatter
Ukrainian:
відгодо́вувати
(vidhodóvuvaty)
— to cause to be fatter
Ukrainian:
відгодува́ти
(vidhoduváty)
— to cause to be fatter
Uyghur:
ئەتلەندۈرمەك
(etlendürmek)
— to cause to be fatter
Vietnamese:
vỗ béo
— to cause to be fatter
Albanian:
trash
— to become fatter
Albanian:
aj
— to become fatter
Arabic:
سَمِنَ
(samina)
— to become fatter
Aromanian:
ngrash
— to become fatter
Bulgarian:
дебелея
(debeleja)
— to become fatter
Bulgarian:
надебелявам
(nadebeljavam)
— to become fatter
Bulgarian:
надебелея
(nadebeleja)
— to become fatter
Bulgarian:
пълнея
(pǎlneja)
— to become fatter
Bulgarian:
напълнявам
(napǎlnjavam)
— to become fatter
Bulgarian:
напълнея
(napǎlneja)
— to become fatter
Bulgarian:
затлъстявам
(zatlǎstjavam)
— to become fatter
Bulgarian:
затлъстея
(zatlǎsteja)
— to become fatter
Catalan:
engreixar-se
— to become fatter
Czech:
ztloustnout
— to become fatter
Czech:
tloustnout
— to become fatter
Czech:
přibrat
— to become fatter
Czech:
přibírat
— to become fatter
Dalmatian:
engrassur
— to become fatter
Dutch:
verdikken
— to become fatter
Dutch:
vervetten
— to become fatter
Dutch:
uitzetten
— to become fatter
Estonian:
rasvuma
— to become fatter
Estonian:
tüsenema
— to become fatter
Finnish:
lihoa
— to become fatter
Finnish:
lihota
— to become fatter
French:
grossir
— to become fatter
Galician:
engordar
— to become fatter
German:
dick werden
— to become fatter
German:
dicker werden
— to become fatter
German:
fett werden
— to become fatter
German:
sich mästen
— to become fatter
German:
zunehmen
— to become fatter
Greek:
παχαίνω
(pachaíno)
— to become fatter
Greek:
χοντραίνω
(chontraíno)
— to become fatter
Hungarian:
hízik
— to become fatter
Ingrian:
lihhoa
— to become fatter
Ingrian:
lihoittua
— to become fatter
Irish:
ramhraigh
— to become fatter
Irish:
tit chun feola
— to become fatter
Irish:
tit chun meáchain
— to become fatter
Italian:
ingrassare
— to become fatter
Japanese:
太る
(futoru)
— to become fatter
Korean:
살찌다
(saljjida)
— to become fatter
Polish:
tyć
— to become fatter
Polish:
utyć
— to become fatter
Portuguese:
engordar
— to become fatter
Romanian:
se îngrășa
— to become fatter
Russian:
толсте́ть
(tolstétʹ)
— to become fatter
Russian:
потолсте́ть
(potolstétʹ)
— to become fatter
Russian:
жире́ть
(žirétʹ)
— to become fatter
Russian:
разжире́ть
(razžirétʹ)
— to become fatter
Lower Sorbian:
kjarmiś se
— to become fatter
Spanish:
cebarse
— to become fatter
Spanish:
engordar
— to become fatter
Swedish:
tjockna
— to become fatter
Tagalog:
tumaba
— to become fatter
Turkish:
kilo almak
— to become fatter
Turkish:
semirmek
— to become fatter
Turkish:
yağlanmak
— to become fatter
Turkish:
beslemek
— to become fatter
Turkish:
yağ bağlamak
— to become fatter
Turkish:
etlenmek
— to become fatter
Turkish:
şişmanlamak
— to become fatter
Turkish:
semizlemek
— to become fatter
Turkish:
semizlenmek
— to become fatter
Ottoman Turkish:
سمرمك
(semirmek)
— to become fatter
Ottoman Turkish:
سمیزلنمك
(semizlenmek)
— to become fatter
Uyghur:
ئەتلەنمەك
(etlenmek)
— to become fatter
Uyghur:
سەمرىمەك
(semrimek)
— to become fatter
Uyghur:
ئەت قونماق
(et qonmaq)
— to become fatter
Bulgarian:
удебелявам
(udebeljavam)
— to make thick or thicker
Bulgarian:
удебеля
(udebelja)
— to make thick or thicker
Bulgarian:
надебелявам
(nadebeljavam)
— to become thick or thicker
Bulgarian:
надебелея
(nadebeleja)
— to become thick or thicker
Bulgarian:
обогатявам
(obogatjavam)
— to make soil fertile and fruitful
Bulgarian:
обогатя
(obogatja)
— to make soil fertile and fruitful