Barrel-chested Definition & Meaning

American

British

Etymology

Examples

barrel-chested American [bar-uhl-ches-tid] / ˈbær əlˌtʃɛs tɪd /

adjective

1. having a broad, prominent chest or thorax.

barrel-chested British

adjective

1. having a large rounded chest

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of barrel-chested

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He’s of average height, deep-voiced and barrel-chested and tends to respond to questions with questions.

From Los Angeles Times

Barrel-chested and with a neatly trimmed goatee, Beyer is in his late 50s but looks younger.

From Salon

The barrel-chested, red-bearded Mr. McCourt appeared regularly on soap operas — notably “Ryan’s Hope,” on which he had a recurring role as a barkeep — and played bit parts in several films.

From New York Times

He was a small man, barrel-chested and sweaty.

From Slate

“He looked like a singer: big broad shoulders, barrel-chested, together with a very strong physique and a voice that matched.”

From Seattle Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.