What does "obese" mean?

1. (extremely overweight) very overweight in a way that can cause health problems. 2. (people with obesity) a way to talk about people who are very overweight.

How do you use "obese"?

Often used in medical or formal contexts; can be perceived as offensive or overly blunt in casual social conversation. Usually appears as 'the obese' to refer to a group of people.

Is it correct to say "He is very obese."?

No — say "He is obese.". Obese is often treated as a non-gradable medical term; using 'very' can sound redundant or insensitive in a clinical context.

obese

adj. · n.

US //əˈbis// UK //əʊbˈiːz// obese

1 extremely overweight (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Technical Medicine

very overweight in a way that can cause health problems.

having an excessive amount of body fat that increases the risk of health problems. Often used as a clinical descriptor for individuals with a BMI over 30.

Example

The doctor warned him that being obese could lead to heart disease.

Example

Public health initiatives are increasingly focused on reducing the number of children who are clinically obese before they reach adulthood.

Usage

Often used in medical or formal contexts; can be perceived as offensive or overly blunt in casual social conversation.

Teacher's tip

In everyday English, people often use 'overweight' as a softer alternative, while 'obese' remains the standard term in medical and scientific reporting.
- overweight
- heavy
Pitfall

He is very obese.

He is obese.

Obese is often treated as a non-gradable medical term; using 'very' can sound redundant or insensitive in a clinical context.
2 people with obesity (n.)
C1 Advanced Formal Medicine

a way to talk about people who are very overweight.

a collective or individual reference to persons with obesity. This usage is increasingly avoided in modern clinical settings in favour of person-first language.

Example

The study looked at how the obese responded to the new diet plan.

Example

Modern medical ethics suggest using 'people with obesity' rather than 'the obese' to avoid defining individuals solely by their physical condition.

Usage

Usually appears as 'the obese' to refer to a group of people.

Teacher's tip

Advise students to use 'people with obesity' instead of 'the obese' to follow modern professional and inclusive language standards.

Origin

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

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Last updated June 20, 2026