1.
somewhat overweight; tending to be heavy; a bit chubby
Slightly heavier than ideal or showing a tendency toward weight gain.
最近、太り気味だ。
I've been a bit overweight lately.
運動不足で太り気味になってきた。
I've been getting a bit heavy due to lack of exercise.
太り気味だと感じたら、まず食生活を見直してみるといい。
If you feel you're putting on a bit of weight, it's a good idea to start by reviewing your eating habits.
Composed of 太り (the stem of 太る, to gain weight) and 気味 (a suffix meaning "tendency" or "somewhat"). The ～気味 pattern is productive and attaches to verb stems and nouns to indicate a slight tendency or mild state.
USAGE:
- Functions as a na-adjective: 太り気味だ / 太り気味の + noun
- The ～気味 pattern softens the statement — it's less direct than 太っている
- Other common ～気味 words: 風邪気味 (coming down with a cold), 疲れ気味 (somewhat tired), 遅れ気味 (slightly behind schedule)
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 太り気味の体: a slightly overweight body
- 少し太り気味: a little on the heavy side
- 太り気味になる: to start getting a bit heavy
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 太っている: to be fat/overweight — more direct statement of current state
- ぽっちゃり: plump, chubby — softer and more affectionate tone
- 肥満: obesity — medical/formal term; much stronger
- メタボ: metabolic syndrome — colloquial abbreviation; implies health concern