buxom

adjective

bux·​om ˈbək-səm How to pronounce buxom (audio)
1
: vigorously or healthily plump
a buxom warm friendly womanBurl Ives
specifically : full-bosomed
2
archaic : full of gaiety
3
obsolete
b
: offering little resistance : flexible
wing silently the buxom airJohn Milton
buxomly adverb
buxomness noun

Examples of buxom in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Her body looked nicely curved but neither buxom nor model-elegant. IEEE Spectrum, 29 May 2014 In one, a buxom woman appraises herself in a shop mirror as an attendant offers her a too-slender frock. Cate McQuaid, BostonGlobe.com, 29 Aug. 2023 The magazine, which for years drew buzz for covers with some of the skimpiest bikinis and most buxom of models, has taken a different approach of late. Adela Suliman, Washington Post, 16 May 2023 The documentary’s subject, the buxom blonde Guess and Playboy model who became a cultural caricature before dying from an accidental drug overdose in 2007 at age 39, was misunderstood. Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 16 May 2023 The buxom blonde bombshell represented the dynamic range a woman’s identity could span, from the saintly (wife, mother, girl next door) to the sinful (exotic dancer, calculating gold digger, tabloid-courting sensation). Courtney Howard, Variety, 15 May 2023 Chase Del Rey and Kaley Ann Vorhees in 'A Little Night Music' | Credit: Courtesy Pasadena Playhouse Lewis could easily give a one-note performance as the bawdy and buxom chamber maid Petra. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 4 May 2023 But the most shameless is Informer, a scandal sheet that features hatchet jobs and images of buxom women. Robert F. Worth, New York Times, 3 May 2023 For almost 20 years, she’s been in the buxom world of breasts. Liana Satenstein, Vogue, 18 May 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'buxom.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English buxsum, from Old English *būhsum; akin to Old English būgan to bend — more at bow

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3a

Time Traveler
The first known use of buxom was in the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near buxom

Cite this Entry

“Buxom.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buxom. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

buxom

adjective
bux·​om ˈbək-səm How to pronounce buxom (audio)
: having a healthy plump form
buxomness noun

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