Plump vs. Fat: What's the Difference?
Edited by Harlon Moss || By Janet White || Updated on October 2, 2023
"Plump" often describes someone as being slightly and attractively rounded or full, while "fat" is a broader term and can imply excess body weight or the presence of fatty tissue, often with a negative connotation.
Key Differences
"Plump" and "fat" are words used to describe body composition, yet they convey different tones and connotations. "Plump" is often used in a more endearing or neutral manner, usually describing someone or something as full and rounded, often in a healthy or attractive way. It can suggest a soft, pleasing curvature or fullness. "Fat," on the other hand, can serve as a more straightforward or blunt descriptor of excessive body weight or the presence of fatty tissue, and it may be used negatively or neutrally depending on the context.
The origin and application of the word "plump" are rooted in perceptions of attractiveness and health. Historically, a plump appearance was associated with wealth, prosperity, and fertility. It may refer to a well-rounded and healthy-looking feature, without necessarily implying excessiveness or unhealthiness. Conversely, "fat" has a more direct approach, originating from Old English "fǣtt," meaning "fatted, obese," and it primarily denotes the presence of excess fatty tissue in the body, sometimes associated with unhealthiness or lack of fitness.
While "plump" often refers to humans, its use extends to describing fruits, animals, and other entities, emphasizing their wholesome, full appearance. For instance, a plump fruit is likely to be ripe and juicy. "Fat," however, goes beyond describing body composition. It is also a macronutrient essential to the human body, and its presence is crucial for energy storage and nutrient absorption. This multi-functionality of "fat" makes it a versatile word in various contexts, not limited to describing appearances.
In terms of tone and politeness, "plump" is usually perceived as more polite and less offensive than "fat." "Plump" often carries a sense of quaintness or charm, making it more acceptable in everyday conversation when describing people. "Fat" can be offensive and is often considered a blunt or harsh term when describing individuals, although its usage can be neutral or technical, especially in medical or nutritional contexts.
Comparison Chart
Connotation
More endearing or neutral, often positive or attractive.
Often neutral or negative, can be blunt or offensive.
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Usage
Describes full, rounded appearance attractively.
Describes excess body weight or presence of fatty tissue.
Context
Humans, fruits, animals. Can be related to health or attractiveness.
Humans, animals, nutritional context. Related to body composition or dietary components.
Tone
Generally polite and less likely to offend.
Can be blunt, harsh, and potentially offensive.
Applicability
Specific to appearance or physical characteristic.
Wide-ranging, includes a dietary component and body composition.
Plump and Fat Definitions
Plump
Slightly and attractively chubby.
The child's plump cheeks were adorable.
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Fat
Substance in bodies of animals and in some plants, consisting of a mixture of triglycerides.
This cut of meat has a lot of fat.
Plump
To make fuller or rounder.
He plumped up the pillow before going to bed.
Fat
The ester of glycerol and one, two, or three fatty acids.
Plump
Well-rounded and full in form; chubby.
Fat
Any of various soft, solid, or semisolid organic compounds constituting the esters of glycerol and fatty acids and their associated organic groups.
Plump
Abundant; ample
A plump reward.
Fat
A mixture of such compounds occurring widely in organic tissue, especially in the adipose tissue of animals and in the seeds, nuts, and fruits of plants.
Plump
Blunt; direct.
Fat
Animal tissue containing such substances.
Plump
To make well-rounded or full in form
Plumped up the pillows.
Fat
A solidified animal or vegetable oil.
Plump
To become well-rounded, chubby, or full in form
The baby plumped out at three months.
Fat
Obesity; corpulence
Health risks associated with fat.
Plump
To drop abruptly or heavily
Plumped into the easy chair.
Fat
Unnecessary excess
"would drain the appropriation's fat without cutting into education's muscle" (New York Times).
Plump
To give full support or praise
Plumped for the candidate throughout the state.
Fat
Having much or too much fat or flesh; plump or obese.
Plump
To throw down or drop (something) abruptly or heavily
Plumped the books onto the table.
Fat
Full of fat or oil; greasy.
Plump
A heavy or abrupt fall or collision.
Fat
Abounding in desirable elements
A paycheck fat with bonus money.
Plump
The sound of a heavy fall or collision.
Fat
Fertile or productive; rich
"It was a fine, green, fat landscape" (Robert Louis Stevenson).
Plump
With a heavy or abrupt drop
The anchor fell plump into the sea.
Fat
Having an abundance or amplitude; well-stocked
A fat larder.
Plump
With a full or sudden impact
Walked plump into the pole.
Fat
Yielding profit or plenty; lucrative or rewarding
A fat promotion.
Plump
Directly
Ran plump into an old friend.
Fat
Prosperous; wealthy
Grew fat on illegal profits.
Plump
Without qualification; bluntly
Spoke out plump for the tax bill.
Fat
Thick; large
A fat book.
Plump
Having a full and rounded shape; chubby, somewhat overweight.
A plump baby; plump cheeks
Fat
Puffed up; swollen
A fat lip.
Plump
Fat.
Fat
To make or become fat; fatten.
Plump
Sudden and without reservation; blunt; direct; downright.
Fat
Carrying more fat than usual on one's body; plump; not lean or thin.
The fat man had trouble getting through the door.
The fattest pig should yield the most meat.
Plump
(intransitive) To grow plump; to swell out.
Her cheeks have plumped.
Fat
Thick; large.
The fat wallets of the men from the city brought joy to the peddlers.
Plump
(transitive) To make plump; to fill (out) or support; often with up.
To plump oysters or scallops by placing them in fresh or brackish water
Fat
Bulbous; rotund.
Plump
(transitive) To cast or let drop all at once, suddenly and heavily.
To plump a stone into water
Fat
Bountiful.
Plump
(intransitive) To give a plumper (kind of vote).
Fat
Oily; greasy; unctuous; rich said of food.
Plump
(transitive) To give (a vote), as a plumper.
Fat
(obsolete) Exhibiting the qualities of a fat animal; coarse; heavy; gross; dull; stupid.
Plump
To favor or decide in favor of something.
Fat
Fertile; productive.
A fat soil; a fat pasture
Plump
(intransitive) To drop or fall suddenly or heavily, all at once.
Fat
Rich; producing a large income; desirable.
A fat benefice; a fat office;
A fat job
Plump
Directly; suddenly; perpendicularly.
Fat
Abounding in riches; affluent; fortunate.
Plump
The sound of a sudden heavy fall.
Fat
Of a character which enables the compositor to make large wages; said of matter containing blank, cuts, or many leads, etc.
A fat take; a fat page
Plump
(obsolete) A knot or cluster; a group; a crowd.
A plump of trees, fowls, or spears
Fat
(golf) Being a shot in which the ground is struck before the ball.
Plump
A group of geese flying close together.
Fat
(theatre) Of a role: significant; major; meaty.
Plump
Well rounded or filled out; full; fleshy; fat; as, a plump baby; plump cheeks.
The god of wine did his plump clusters bring.
Fat
Alternative form of phat
Plump
Done or made plump, or suddenly and without reservation; blunt; unreserved; direct; downright.
After the plump statement that the author was at Erceldoune and spake with Thomas.
Fat
(uncountable) A specialized animal tissue with high lipid content, used for long-term storage of energy: fat tissue.
Mammals that hibernate have plenty of fat to keep them warm during the winter.
Plump
A knot; a cluster; a group; a crowd; a flock; as, a plump of trees, fowls, or spears.
To visit islands and the plumps of men.
Fat
Such tissue as food: the fatty portion of (or trimmings from) meat cuts.
Ask the butcher for a few pounds of fat for our greens.
Plump
To grow plump; to swell out; as, her cheeks have plumped.
Fat
(countable) A lipid that is solid at room temperature, which fat tissue contains and which is also found in the blood circulation; sometimes, a refined substance chemically resembling such naturally occurring lipids.
Dietary fat is not the evil that it was once misapprehended to be; carbs are increasingly recognized as a bigger driver of atherosclerosis via chronic insulin resistance and the vascular processes that cascade from it.
Plump
To drop or fall suddenly or heavily, all at once.
Fat
That part of an organization deemed wasteful.
We need to trim the fat in this company
Plump
To give a plumper. See Plumper, 2.
Fat
(slang) An erection.
I saw Daniel crack a fat.
Plump
To make plump; to fill (out) or support; - often with up.
To plump up the hollowness of their history with improbable miracles.
Fat
(golf) A poorly played shot where the ball is struck by the top part of the club head. (see also thin, shank, toe)
Plump
To cast or let drop all at once, suddenly and heavily; as, to plump a stone into water.
Fat
The best or richest productions; the best part.
To live on the fat of the land
Plump
To give (a vote), as a plumper. See Plumper, 2.
Fat
Work containing much blank, or its equivalent, and therefore profitable to the compositor.
Plump
Directly; suddenly; perpendicularly.
Fat
A fat person.
Plump
The sound of a sudden heavy fall
Fat
A beef cattle fattened for sale.
Plump
Drop sharply;
The stock market plummeted
Fat
(obsolete) A large tub or vessel for water, wine, or other liquids; a cistern.
Plump
Set (something or oneself) down with or as if with a noise;
He planked the money on the table
He planked himself into the sofa
Fat
(obsolete) A dry measure, generally equal to nine bushels.
Plump
Make fat or plump;
We will plump out that poor starving child
Fat
To make fat; to fatten.
Kill the fatted calf
Plump
Give support (to) or make a choice (of) one out of a group or number;
I plumped for the losing candidates
Fat
To become fat; to fatten.
Plump
Euphemisms for slightly fat;
A generation ago...buxom actresses were popular
Chubby babies
Pleasingly plump
Fat
To hit a golf ball with a fat shot.
Plump
Straight down especially heavily or abruptly;
The anchor fell plump into the sea
We dropped the rock plump into the water
Fat
A large tub, cistern, or vessel; a vat.
The fats shall overflow with wine and oil.
Plump
Having a full, rounded shape.
The plump fruit was ripe and juicy.
Fat
A measure of quantity, differing for different commodities.
Plump
Well-filled, ample.
She arranged the plump cushions on the sofa.
Fat
An oily liquid or greasy substance making up the main bulk of the adipose tissue of animals, and widely distributed in the seeds of plants. See Adipose tissue, under Adipose.
Plump
Healthy and vigorous.
The plump puppy played in the yard.
Fat
The best or richest productions; the best part; as, to live on the fat of the land.
Fat
Work. containing much blank, or its equivalent, and, therefore, profitable to the compositor.
Fat
Abounding with fat
Fat
Exhibiting the qualities of a fat animal; coarse; heavy; gross; dull; stupid.
Making our western wits fat and mean.
Make the heart of this people fat.
Fat
Fertile; productive; as, a fat soil; a fat pasture.
Fat
Rich; producing a large income; desirable; as, a fat benefice; a fat office; a fat job.
Now parson of Troston, a fat living in Suffolk.
Fat
Abounding in riches; affluent; fortunate.
Persons grown fat and wealthy by long impostures.
Fat
Of a character which enables the compositor to make large wages; - said of matter containing blank, cuts, or many leads, etc.; as, a fat take; a fat page.
Fat
To make fat; to fatten; to make plump and fleshy with abundant food; as, to fat fowls or sheep.
We fat all creatures else to fat us.
Fat
To grow fat, plump, and fleshy.
An old ox fats as well, and is as good, as a young one.
Fat
A soft greasy substance occurring in organic tissue and consisting of a mixture of lipids (mostly triglycerides);
Pizza has too much fat
Fat
A kind of body tissue containing stored fat that serves as a source of energy; adipose tissue also cushions and insulates vital organs;
Fatty tissue protected them from the severe cold
Fat
Excess bodily weight;
She found fatness disgusting in herself as well as in others
Fat
Make fat or plump;
We will plump out that poor starving child
Fat
Having much flesh (especially fat);
He hadn't remembered how fat she was
Fat
Having a relatively large diameter;
A fat rope
Fat
Containing or composed of fat;
Fatty food
Fat tissue
Fat
Lucrative;
A juicy contract
A nice fat job
Fat
Marked by great fruitfulness;
Fertile farmland
A fat land
A productive vineyard
Rich soil
Fat
A chubby body;
The boy had a rounded face and fat cheeks
Fat
Having excess body weight.
The cat has gotten fat over the winter.
Fat
Rich; producing wealth.
He signed a fat contract last year.
Fat
Plentiful, abundant.
The book offers a fat collection of stories.
Fat
Thick.
He applied a fat layer of cream on the cake.
FAQs
Can "plump" be used as a verb?
Yes, as in "to plump up," meaning to become fuller or rounder.
Is "fat" always used negatively?
No, it can be neutral or technical, especially in nutritional or medical contexts.
Can "fat" be used medically?
Yes, it can describe body composition and the presence of fatty tissue in a clinical context.
Does "plump" imply a lack of fitness?
No, it does not inherently imply unhealthiness or lack of fitness.
Can "plump" be used positively?
Yes, it often conveys a sense of healthy fullness or attractive roundness.
Can "fat" refer to nutritional components?
Yes, it also refers to a macronutrient essential to human diet and health.
Can "plump" refer to fruits and animals?
Yes, it can describe anything that appears full and rounded, suggesting healthiness or ripeness.
Is "fat" used in cooking?
Yes, it refers to the fatty component of meats and oils used in cooking.
Is "plump" synonymous with overweight?
Not necessarily, it often denotes healthy or attractive fullness rather than excess weight.
Can "fat" describe objects?
Yes, it can describe something thick or substantial, like a fat book or a fat log.
Can "plump" and "fat" be used interchangeably?
While they can sometimes refer to similar concepts, they are not fully interchangeable due to different connotations and usages.
Can "fat" refer to wealth?
Yes, in informal language, a "fat" contract or a "fat" paycheck can denote substantial wealth.
Can "plump" describe texture?
Yes, it can refer to something that is soft and full, like a cushion.
Is "fat" an offensive term?
It can be perceived as offensive when used to describe people, so it’s crucial to be mindful of its usage.
Is "plump" specific to certain contexts?
It is often used to describe physical appearance but can apply to other contexts like fruits or cushions.
About Author
Written by
Janet WhiteJanet White has been an esteemed writer and blogger for Difference Wiki. Holding a Master's degree in Science and Medical Journalism from the prestigious Boston University, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise and passion for her field. When she's not immersed in her work, Janet relishes her time exercising, delving into a good book, and cherishing moments with friends and family.
Edited by
Harlon MossHarlon is a seasoned quality moderator and accomplished content writer for Difference Wiki. An alumnus of the prestigious University of California, he earned his degree in Computer Science. Leveraging his academic background, Harlon brings a meticulous and informed perspective to his work, ensuring content accuracy and excellence.
