grasso

grasso

Italian

Etymology

From Vulgar Latin *grassus, from Latin crassus. Doublet of crasso.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡras.so/

• Audio

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• Rhymes: -asso
• Hyphenation: gràs‧so

Adjective

grasso (feminine grassa, masculine plural grassi, feminine plural grasse)

1. fat
   • 1353, Giovanni Boccaccio, “Giornata sesta, Novella IV [Sixth Day, Fourth Story]”, in Decamerone [Decameron]‎, Tommaso Hedlin, published 1527, page 164:

     Il quale con un ſuo falcone havendo un di […] una gru ammazzata trovandola graſſa e giovane, quella mandò ad un ſuo buon cuoco

     Who [Currado], having one day killed with a falcon of his a crane, finding it to be fat and young, sent it to a cook of his

   • Synonyms: adiposo, pingue
   • Antonyms: asciutto, esile, magro, mingherlino, smilzo, snello
2. fatty, greasy (containing fat)

   Quando mangio della carne, la preferisco grassa. ― When I eat meat, I prefer it to be fatty.

   Antonym: magro

3. (botany) succulent (of plants)
4. (figurative) rich, abundant

   La cucina di mia madre è molto grassa. ― My mother's cuisine is very rich.

   Synonyms: condito, pesante

   Antonyms: digeribile, leggero

5. (figurative) useful, advantageous

   Mi ha fatto delle grasse promesse. ― He made some advantageous promises.

   Synonyms: produttivo, ricco, utile, vantaggioso

   Antonym: svantaggioso

6. (figurative) well-off, well-to-do (of a person)
   • 1321, Dante Alighieri, La divina commedia: Paradiso [The Divine Comedy: Paradise] (paperback), Le Monnier, published 2002, Canto XVI, lines 112–114, page 293:

     Così facieno i padri di coloro ¶ che, sempre che la vostra chiesa vaca, ¶ si fanno grassi stando a consistoro.

     So likewise did the ancestors of those ¶ who evermore, when vacant is your church, ¶ get fat by staying in consistory.

   • 1841, Giovanni Villani, Cronache di Dino Compagni, e di Giovanni, Matteo e Filippo Villani‎, volume 1, Padua, Book 8, Chapter 1, page 169:

     essendo la città di Firenze in grande e possente stato […] e' cittadini di quella grassi e ricchi

     with the city of Florence being in a great and powerful condition […] and its citizens well-off and wealthy

   • Synonyms: abbiente, agiato, benestante, facoltoso, ricco
   • Antonyms: bisognoso, disagiato, indigente, misero, nullatenente, povero
7. fatty, greasy, unctuous (having a greasy consistence)

   Questa pomata è molto grassa. ― This ointment is very greasy.

   Synonyms: denso, oleoso, unto, untuoso, vischioso

   Antonyms: asciutto, secco

8. (by extension) thick (of air)
   • 1321, Dante Alighieri, La divina commedia: Inferno [The Divine Comedy: Hell] (paperback), 12th edition, Le Monnier, published 1994, Canto IX, lines 82–84, page 139:

     Dal volto rimovea quell'aere grasso ¶ menando la sinistra innanzi spesso; ¶ e sol di quell'angoscia parea lasso.

     From off his face he fanned that unctuous air, ¶ waving his left hand oft in front of him, ¶ and only with that anguish seemed he weary.

   • Synonym: spesso
9. fatty, greasy, unctuous (having a greasy surface)

   Prima di fare la doccia, avevo dei capelli molto grassi. ― Before showering, my hair was very greasy.

   Synonyms: oleoso, unto, untuoso

   Antonyms: asciutto, secco

10. (figurative) licentious, raunchy, vulgar (of a way of speaking)

    Mio zio è solito raccontare storielle grasse. ― My uncle usually tells licentious little stories.

    Synonyms: grossolano, lascivo, licenzioso, osceno, sboccato, spinto, triviale, volgare

    Antonyms: castigato, casto, irreprensibile, pudico

Noun

grasso m (plural grassi)

1. fat (animal tissue)
2. (by extension) any greasy substance
3. (nautical) the concavity of a sail under the effect of the wind

Derived terms

• grassamente
• grasso di balena (“blubber”)
• ingrassare

Anagrams

• grossa

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Portuguese

Adjective

grasso (feminine grassa, masculine plural grassos, feminine plural grassas)

1. (uncommon) fatty (containing fat)

Verb

grasso

1. first-person singular present indicative of grassar