1.
medium build; average height and weight
A person of average physique, neither particularly tall nor short, neither thin nor heavy.
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