Fat vs. Big — What's the Difference?

Having a lot of extra flesh on the body.

Of considerable size, extent, or intensity.

Large in width or circumference.

Generous or magnanimous.

Rich in oil or grease.

Important or significant.

The substance under the skin of humans and animals stored as energy.

Popular or well-known.

Profitable or lucrative.

Of considerable size or extent

In nutrition, biology, and chemistry, fat usually means any ester of fatty acids, or a mixture of such compounds, most commonly those that occur in living beings or in food.The term often refers specifically to triglycerides (triple esters of glycerol), that are the main components of vegetable oils and of fatty tissue in animals; or, even more narrowly, to triglycerides that are solid or semisolid at room temperature, thus excluding oils. The term may also be used more broadly as a synonym of lipid—any substance of biological relevance, composed of carbon, hydrogen, or oxygen, that is insoluble in water but soluble in non-polar solvents.

Of considerable importance or seriousness

A natural oily substance occurring in animal bodies, especially when deposited as a layer under the skin or around certain organs

Generous

Any of a group of natural esters of glycerol and various fatty acids, which are solid at room temperature and are the main constituents of animal and vegetable fat

Praise or recommend something highly

(of a person or animal) having a large amount of excess flesh

The major league in a professional sport

Large in bulk or circumference

Of considerable size, number, quantity, magnitude, or extent; large.

Make or become fat

Having great strength or force

The ester of glycerol and one, two, or three fatty acids.

Of great significance; momentous

Any of various soft, solid, or semisolid organic compounds constituting the esters of glycerol and fatty acids and their associated organic groups.

Mature or grown-up

A mixture of such compounds occurring widely in organic tissue, especially in the adipose tissue of animals and in the seeds, nuts, and fruits of plants.

Older or eldest. Used especially of a sibling

Animal tissue containing such substances.

Filled up; brimming over

A solidified animal or vegetable oil.

Bountiful; generous

Obesity; corpulence

Pregnant

Unnecessary excess

Having or exercising considerable authority, control, or influence

Having much or too much fat or flesh; plump or obese.

Conspicuous in position, wealth, or importance; prominent

Full of fat or oil; greasy.

Loud and firm; resounding

Abounding in desirable elements

(Informal) Widely liked, used, or practiced; popular

Fertile or productive; rich

(Informal) Self-important; cocky

Having an abundance or amplitude; well-stocked

In a pretentious or boastful way

Yielding profit or plenty; lucrative or rewarding

With considerable success

Prosperous; wealthy

In a thorough or unmistakable way; emphatically

Thick; large

Of great size, large.

Puffed up; swollen

(informal) Fat.

To make or become fat; fatten.

Large with young; pregnant; swelling; ready to give birth or produce.

Carrying more fat than usual on one's body; plump; not lean or thin.

Old, mature. Used to imply that somebody is too old for something, or acting immaturely.

Thick; large.

.informal Mature, conscientious, principled; generous.

Bulbous; rotund.

(informal) Important or significant.

Bountiful.

Popular.

Oily; greasy; unctuous; rich said of food.

(of a city) Populous.

(obsolete) Exhibiting the qualities of a fat animal; coarse; heavy; gross; dull; stupid.

(informal) Used as an intensifier, especially of negative-valence nouns

Fertile; productive.

Operating on a large scale, especially if therefore having undue or sinister influence.

Rich; producing a large income; desirable.

Enthusiastic (about).

Abounding in riches; affluent; fortunate.

In a loud manner.

Of a character which enables the compositor to make large wages; said of matter containing blank, cuts, or many leads, etc.

In a boasting manner.

(golf) Being a shot in which the ground is struck before the ball.

In a large amount or to a large extent.

(theatre) Of a role: significant; major; meaty.

On a large scale, expansively.

Alternative form of phat

Hard.

(uncountable) A specialized animal tissue with high lipid content, used for long-term storage of energy: fat tissue.

An important or powerful person; a celebrity; a big name.

Such tissue as food: the fatty portion of (or trimmings from) meat cuts.

(in the plural) The big leagues, big time.

(countable) A lipid that is solid at room temperature, which fat tissue contains and which is also found in the blood circulation; sometimes, a refined substance chemically resembling such naturally occurring lipids.

(university slang) A initiated member of a sorority who acts as a mentor to a new member (the little).

That part of an organization deemed wasteful.

(BDSM) The participant in ageplay who acts out the older role.

(slang) An erection.

One or more kinds of barley, especially six-rowed barley.

(golf) A poorly played shot where the ball is struck by the top part of the club head. (see also thin, shank, toe)

To inhabit; occupy.

The best or richest productions; the best part.

To locate oneself.

Work containing much blank, or its equivalent, and therefore profitable to the compositor.

To build; erect; fashion.

A fat person.

To dwell; have a dwelling.

A beef cattle fattened for sale.

Having largeness of size; of much bulk or magnitude; of great size; large.

(obsolete) A large tub or vessel for water, wine, or other liquids; a cistern.

Great with young; pregnant; swelling; ready to give birth or produce; - often figuratively.

(obsolete) A dry measure, generally equal to nine bushels.

Having greatness, fullness, importance, inflation, distention, etc., whether in a good or a bad sense; as, a big heart; a big voice; big looks; to look big. As applied to looks, it indicates haughtiness or pride.

To make fat; to fatten.

Barley, especially the hardy four-rowed kind.

To become fat; to fatten.

To build.

To hit a golf ball with a fat shot.

Above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent;

A large tub, cistern, or vessel; a vat.

Significant;

A measure of quantity, differing for different commodities.

Of very great significance;

An oily liquid or greasy substance making up the main bulk of the adipose tissue of animals, and widely distributed in the seeds of plants. See Adipose tissue, under Adipose.

Conspicuous in position or importance;

The best or richest productions; the best part; as, to live on the fat of the land.

Very intense;

Work. containing much blank, or its equivalent, and, therefore, profitable to the compositor.

Loud and firm;

Abounding with fat

Prodigious;

Exhibiting the qualities of a fat animal; coarse; heavy; gross; dull; stupid.

Marked by intense physical force;

Fertile; productive; as, a fat soil; a fat pasture.

Feeling self-importance;

Rich; producing a large income; desirable; as, a fat benefice; a fat office; a fat job.

Older brother or sister;

Abounding in riches; affluent; fortunate.

Exhibiting self-importance;

Of a character which enables the compositor to make large wages; - said of matter containing blank, cuts, or many leads, etc.; as, a fat take; a fat page.

Generous and understanding and tolerant;

To make fat; to fatten; to make plump and fleshy with abundant food; as, to fat fowls or sheep.

Given or giving freely;

To grow fat, plump, and fleshy.

In an advanced stage of pregnancy;

A soft greasy substance occurring in organic tissue and consisting of a mixture of lipids (mostly triglycerides);

Extremely well;

A kind of body tissue containing stored fat that serves as a source of energy; adipose tissue also cushions and insulates vital organs;

In a boastful manner;

Excess bodily weight;

On a grand scale;

Make fat or plump;

In a major way;

Having much flesh (especially fat);

Having a relatively large diameter;

Containing or composed of fat;

Lucrative;

Marked by great fruitfulness;

A chubby body;

Foods like cheese, butter, and fatty cuts of meat are considered high in fat.

In business, "big" can refer to large corporations or significant profits, as in "big business" or "big earnings."

Yes, "big" can be used to describe intense emotions, as in "big happiness" or "big anger."

The medical community often uses the term "fat" in a clinical sense, focusing on body fat percentage and its implications for health.

Dietary fat is essential for energy, supporting cell growth, and protecting organs, among other functions.

In sports like basketball or American football, being big can be advantageous in terms of height and physical presence.

"Obese" is a medical term used when someone has a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, whereas "fat" is more colloquial and less precise.

Certain periods, like the Baroque era, considered being plump as a sign of wealth and beauty.

No, being described as big might refer to height or overall body structure, not necessarily implying excess weight.

The fashion industry may use "big" in terms of plus-size fashion, which is different from "fat" which is rarely used due to its negative connotations.

Yes, an animal can be both big in size and have a lot of body fat, though these terms address different aspects.

Yes, using terms like "overweight" or discussing body mass index (BMI) is often recommended for sensitivity and accuracy in public discourse.

Yes, what is considered big can vary by context or comparison, such as a big cat versus a big elephant.

Children may understand "big" as relating to size and "fat" as relating to body shape, but the contexts can vary with their environment and teaching.

In slang, "fat" can mean excellent or plentiful, as in "a fat beat" or "fat chances."