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Portly vs Substantial - What's the difference?

portly | substantial | Synonyms |

Portly is a synonym of substantial.


As adjectives the difference between portly and substantial

is that portly is somewhat fat, pudgy, overweight while substantial is having to substance; actually existing; real; as, substantial life.

As a noun substantial is

anything having substance; an essential part.

portly

English

Adjective

(er)
  • Somewhat fat, pudgy, overweight.
  • * 1824 , , Tales of a Traveller , Introduction:
    • Indeed, the poor man has grown ten times as nervous as ever, since he has discovered, on such good authority, who the stout gentleman was. . . . He has anxiously endeavored to call up a recollection of what he saw of that portly personage; and has ever since kept a curious eye on all gentlemen of more than ordinary dimensions.
  • * 1913 , , The Little Nugget , ch. 14:
    • His portly middle section, rising beyond like a small hill, heaved rhythmically.
  • * 2011 July 6, Nick Carbone, " Top 10 Worst Fictional Camp Counselors," Time (retrieved 8 May 2014):
    • In Heavyweights , Tony Perkis (Ben Stiller) is a fitness guru who installs himself as the über-buff leader of Camp Hope, with the goal of helping portly youngsters shed their saggy stomachs and thunder thighs.
  • *1590 , (Edmund Spenser), The Faerie Queene , III.2:
  • *:Portly his person was, and much increast
    • Through his Heroicke grace and honourable gest.
  • * 1728 , , "A Dialogue between Mad Mullinix and Timothy":
    • Be studious well to imitate
    My portly motion, mien, and gait

    Usage notes

    * When used to refer to someone who is overweight, portly'' is a less harsh term than ''fat .

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Derived terms

    * portliness

    See also

    *

    substantial

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Having to substance; actually existing; real; as, substantial life.
  • Not seeming or imaginary; not illusive; real; solid; true; veritable.
  • * "to do some substantial good, is the compensation for much incidental imperfection" - Cardinal Newman, The Rise and Progress of Universities
  • Corporeal; material; firm.
  • Having good substance; strong; stout; solid; firm; as, substantial cloth; a substantial fence or wall.
  • possessed of goods or an estate; moderately wealthy; responsible; as, a substantial freeholder.
  • Large in size, quantity, or value; as, a substantial amount of money; vast
  • Most important; essential.
  • Ample or full.
    • A substantial amount of people in this buliding
  • Significantly great.

    • Derived terms

    * consubstantial * insubstantial * substantiality * substantially * substantialness

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Anything having substance; an essential part.