ENGLISH
REFERENCE

obese

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //əˈbis// UK //əʊbˈiːz// obese

adj. having a lot of extra body fat that can be bad for your health. It is a medical word for being very overweight.

adj. possessing an excessive amount of body fat that increases the risk of health problems. Typically used in a clinical or formal context rather than a casual one.


SIMPLE

The doctor warned him that he was becoming obese.

CONTEXTUAL

Public health campaigns often focus on diet and exercise to prevent children from becoming obese.

COMPLEX

Medical professionals distinguish between being overweight and being clinically obese by calculating a patient's body mass index to assess potential health risks.

Synonyms
Origin

From Latin obēsus, derived from obedō (“I devour, eat away”), from ob (“away”) + edō (“I eat”). Displaced native Old English oferfǣtt (literally “overfat”).

Usage

Often follows a linking verb like 'be' or 'become'; frequently modified by 'clinically' or 'morbidly'.

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