Phrase guide

meat on one's bones

noun · 2 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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1

noun

Meaning 1

An amount of flesh on one's body that prevents one from being very thin.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An amount of mass, substance, or strength on or within something's body.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly, uncountable

Examples

  • You're dressing up as a canary? Can't you find something with a little more meat on its bones, like an eagle?
  • I'd rather buy a truck than a car; I need something with more meat on its bones.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.