1.
medium build; average height and weight
A person of average physique, neither particularly tall nor short, neither thin nor heavy.
犯人は中肉中背の男だった。
The suspect was a man of average build.
彼は中肉中背で、特徴のない体型だ。
He has an average build with no distinguishing physical features.
目撃者の証言によると、容疑者は中肉中背で黒い帽子をかぶっていたという。
According to the witness's testimony, the suspect was of medium build and wearing a black hat.
A four-character compound (四字熟語) describing someone whose body type is unremarkable — average in both weight (中肉) and height (中背). The word 背 here refers to stature or height.
This expression is extremely common in physical descriptions, especially in police reports, news accounts of wanted persons, and character descriptions in fiction. It conveys the idea that the person would not stand out in a crowd.
USAGE:
Typically used as a noun modifying another noun (の construction) or in predicate position with だ/です. Often appears in descriptions where physical appearance matters but nothing distinctive can be identified.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 中肉中背の男性: a man of medium build
- 中肉中背の体型: an average body type
- 中肉中背で目立たない: average build and inconspicuous
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 普通の体型: normal body type (everyday expression, less precise)
- 小柄: small build
- 大柄: large build