bloated; bloating; bloats
1
a
: to make turgid or swollen
b
: to cause abdominal distension in
2
: to fill to capacity or overflowing
1
a
: one that is bloated
b
: unwarranted or excessive growth or enlargement
bureaucratic bloat
2
: digestive disturbance of ruminant animals and especially cattle marked by accumulation of gas in one or more stomach compartments
3
: a condition of large dogs marked by distension and usually life-threatening rotation of the stomach
Examples of bloat in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
David Zipper, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
Data classification and retention policies are established to manage data privacy and minimize data bloat.
—Chris Stegh, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024
Julia Ries, Outside Online, 29 Jan. 2025
This can result in some digestive issues such as nausea, diarrhea, and bloating.
—Audrey Noble, Vogue, 27 Jan. 2025
Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 7 Jan. 2025
Here’s hoping the next thirty years brings software bloat under control.
4.
—IEEE Spectrum, 26 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bloat 
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Adjective
But even that proposal — which did not address other car bloat dangers like blind zones and torso strikes — is likely to be cast aside by incoming Trump appointees who are disinclined toward new business regulations.
—David Zipper, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
Data classification and retention policies are established to manage data privacy and minimize data bloat.
—Chris Stegh, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024
Verb
Probiotics and fiber can cause uncomfortable symptoms, like diarrhea and bloating, that can wreck performance.
—Julia Ries, Outside Online, 29 Jan. 2025
This can result in some digestive issues such as nausea, diarrhea, and bloating.
—Audrey Noble, Vogue, 27 Jan. 2025
Noun
So, this extremely elastic new provision adds nothing to the equation other than more empty rhetoric and greater bureaucratic bloat.
—Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 7 Jan. 2025
Here’s hoping the next thirty years brings software bloat under control.
4.
—IEEE Spectrum, 26 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bloat
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Cite this Entry
“Bloat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bloat. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
bloat
1 of 2 transitive verb
: to make turgid:
a
: to produce edema in
b
: to cause or result in accumulation of gas in the digestive tract of
cucumbers sometimes bloat me
c
: to cause abdominal distension in
: to become turgid
bloat
2 of 2 noun1
: a digestive disturbance of ruminant animals and especially cattle marked by accumulation of gas in one or more stomach compartments
2
a
: a condition of large dogs marked by distension and usually life-threatening rotation of the stomach
b
: any flatulent digestive disturbance of domestic animals
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