FLESH OUT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does flesh out mean? 

• FLESH OUT (verb)
  The verb FLESH OUT has 3 senses:

1. make fat or plump

2. add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing

3. become round, plump, or shapely

  Familiarity information: FLESH OUT used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• FLESH OUT (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Make fat or plump

Classified under:

Verbs of eating and drinking

Synonyms:

fat; fatten; fatten out; fatten up; fill out; flesh out; plump; plump out

Context example:

We will plump out that poor starving child

Hypernyms (to "flesh out" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

"Flesh out" entails doing...:

feed; give (give food to)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 2

Meaning:

Add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

dilate; elaborate; enlarge; expand; expatiate; exposit; expound; flesh out; lucubrate

Context example:

She elaborated on the main ideas in her dissertation

Hypernyms (to "flesh out" is one way to...):

clarify; clear up; elucidate (make clear and (more) comprehensible)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "flesh out"):

detail (provide details for)

exposit; expound; set forth (state)

exemplify; illustrate; instance (clarify by giving an example of)

particularise; particularize; specialise; specialize; specify (be specific about)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s PP

Sense 3

Meaning:

Become round, plump, or shapely

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Synonyms:

fill out; flesh out; round

Context example:

The young woman is fleshing out

Hypernyms (to "flesh out" is one way to...):

gain; put on (increase (one's body weight))

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s