English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology
FreeDict.com
adj

porky

PAW-kee
Quiz me More like this

Porky (adj) means Rather fat or chubby. Example: “He joked about getting a bit porky over the holidays.”

adj
1
Rather fat or chubby.
"He joked about getting a bit porky over the holidays."
"In front of Lister a small red-haired man, with a porky roll of flesh above his towel-top, was examining a line of girls." — Grant Naylor, Red Dwarf: Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers (1989)
noun
1
British slang for a lie.
"When she turned up at the lab, she gave us a sprawling prepared presentation relying heavily on anecdotal evidence, where it wasn't relying on skewed statistics, unfounded claims and outright porkies." — Christopher Brookmyre, Attack of the Unsinkable Rubber Ducks (2007)
"Stop telling porkies and just admit you forgot."

How to use porky

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither "a bit overweight", or, in British slang, a fib or lie (usually as "porkies").

When to use it

"Porkies" for lies is informal British slang and won't be understood outside the UK.

Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like porky.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice

Word forms

Plural
porkies
Comparative
porkier
Superlative
porkiest
Test yourself on “porky” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

He joked about getting a bit _____ over the holidays.

Etymology

From "pork" plus "-y". The slang sense for a lie comes from Cockney rhyming slang: "pork pies" rhymes with "lies".

Antonyms

Related words

Rhymes for porky

See all rhymes for porky →

Frequently asked questions

What does “porky” mean?
The word “porky” means rather fat or chubby. In plain terms, either "a bit overweight", or, in British slang, a fib or lie (usually as "porkies").
How do you pronounce “porky”?
“Porky” is pronounced PAW-kee (/ˈpɔː(ɹ).ki/ in IPA).
How do you use “porky” in a sentence?
Here is “porky” used in a sentence: “He joked about getting a bit porky over the holidays.”
What part of speech is “porky”?
Depending on how it is used, “porky” can be an adjective and a noun.
How many meanings does “porky” have?
“Porky” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: rather fat or chubby.

People also searched