fatten

verb

fat·​ten ˈfa-tᵊn How to pronounce fatten (audio)
fattened; fattening fa-tə-niŋ How to pronounce fatten (audio)
ˈfat-niŋˈ

transitive verb

1
a
: to make fat, fleshy, or plump
especially : to feed (an animal) for slaughter
b
: to make more substantial
2
: to make fertile

intransitive verb

: to become fat
fattener
ˈfa-tə-nər How to pronounce fatten (audio)
ˈfat-nər
noun

Examples of fatten in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For months, Wall Street commentators have fretted that the artificial intelligence boom looks like a bubble, with capital spending – which some analysts estimate could reach $3 trillion by 2028 – fattening a few mega-cap firms, while lower-income workers suffer from a slack labor market. Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 17 Sep. 2025 Here, the wide, shallow channels are perfect for roosting birds, while the surrounding cornfields provide a post-harvest buffet, allowing the cranes to fatten up for the long journey to their breeding grounds in the northern stretches of the United States, Canada, and even Siberia. Nicholas Derenzo, AFAR Media, 16 Sep. 2025 Which means hummingbirds are still fattening themselves up for their migration across the Gulf of Mexico. Joyce Orlando, Nashville Tennessean, 4 Sep. 2025 Marine heatwaves also occurred in 2018 and 2019 during the summer months, when whales fatten up on krill to prepare for the rest of the year, according to NOAA. Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fatten

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1552, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of fatten was circa 1552

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Cite this Entry

“Fatten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fatten. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

fatten

verb
fat·​ten ˈfat-ᵊn How to pronounce fatten (audio)
fattened; fattening ˈfat-niŋ How to pronounce fatten (audio)
-ᵊn-iŋ
: to make or become fat
fattener noun

More from Merriam-Webster on fatten

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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