chubby
adj.adj. having a soft, rounded body with a little extra fat. It is a gentle, friendly word — not an insult.
adj. having a soft, rounded body shape with a moderate amount of fat. Typically used for children or in affectionate contexts; less formal than 'fat'.
The baby has chubby cheeks.
My grandfather was always a bit chubby, but he stayed active and healthy.
The artist preferred painting chubby, rosy-cheeked children because their soft features conveyed a sense of innocence and warmth.
Recorded since 1611, from chub (“short, thick fish species used as bait"; used metaphorically since 1558 for "lazy person”), an assibilated form of cub (“a lump, heap, mass”) and cob, from Middle English *cubbe (found only in derivative cubbel (“a block to which an animal is tethered”)), from Old Norse kubbr, kumbr (“block, stump, log”) and/or Old Norse kumben (“stumpy”), equivalent to chub + -y. Cognate with dialectal Swedish kubbug (“fat, plump, chubby”). More at chub.