1
a
: the soft parts of the body of an animal and especially of a vertebrate
especially
: the parts composed chiefly of skeletal muscle as distinguished from internal organs, bone, and integument
b
: the condition of having ample fat on the body
cattle in good flesh
c
: skin
2
a
: edible parts of an animal
b
: flesh of a mammal or fowl eaten as food
3
a
: the physical nature of human beings
the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak—
Matthew 26:41 (King James Version)
Matthew 26:41 (King James Version)
b
5
: a fleshy plant part used as food
also
: the fleshy part of a fruit
6
Christian Science
: an illusion that matter has sensation
7
: facts or details that provide substance to something
Her careful documentation puts the necessary flesh on much that has been merely speculation …—John H. Crook
John H. Crook
fleshed; fleshing; fleshes
1
: to initiate or habituate especially by giving a foretaste
2
archaic
: gratify
3
a
: to clothe or cover with or as if with flesh
broadly
: to give substance to
—usually used with out
flesh out a plan
b
: to make fuller or more nearly complete
—used with out
museums fleshing out their collections with borrowed works
4
: to free from flesh
: to become fleshy
—often used with up or out
Synonyms
Examples of flesh in a Sentence
Noun
the flabby white flesh of his belly
a disease that causes sores on the flesh
Recent Examples on the WebEric Lach, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
Your book is dealing with that too, this mortification of the flesh and Matrix-y refusal to engage with the body, denying the kids are going to find ways to make out in the bushes.
—Hazlitt, 3 Apr. 2024
Place the edge of the cup between the flesh and the skin.
—Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 29 Mar. 2024
The accusations of widespread cannibalism are based on what experts said was a likely intimidation tactic from select gang members: In some videos, the most prominent examples being at least two years old, alleged members of violent gangs in Haiti appear to bite into human flesh.
—David Ingram, NBC News, 13 Mar. 2024
The cup will act like a spoon, helping to separate the flesh cleanly from the skin.
—Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 29 Mar. 2024
The flesh shrinks and drops about 20 percent of its weight, creating meat with rich umami.
—Ann Maloney, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2024
If allowed to ripen past its hard stage, a breadfruit’s flesh softens into a sweet custard that can be a base for desserts.
—Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 2024
Forest animals had eaten away most of his flesh, save for that around his head, which had been protected by the mask.
—Clay Risen, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2024
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Feb. 2024
And attempts to flesh the story out beyond the group of seven mostly fall flat.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 10 Dec. 2023
Having cooked up a viable enough scenario, Cody doesn’t quite seem to know how to flesh it out beyond going increasingly over the top, giving the comedy a nagging air of desperation.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Feb. 2024
So much work has been over the years to flesh that out into a more robust lifestyle destination.
—Chadner Navarro, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Dec. 2023
Advertisement Stevenson doodled the character, then called Nightshade, in high school, then fleshed her out in college: The shape-shifting, gleefully murderous outcast just wouldn’t go away.
—Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times, 15 Nov. 2023
Previously, Steiner wrote the seeds of the songs by herself, then fleshed them out with Sagan before bringing them to the rest of the group or other friends.
—Britt Julious, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2023
Having more characters meant fleshing them out in unique ways.
—WIRED, 17 June 2023
That final series of blows shows up a little past the halfway point in Cat Person the movie, however, and gets at the bigger problem that plagues this whole endeavor: how to flesh this out into a three-act narrative that works as a two-hour feature film.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 22 Jan. 2023
Noun
Things that puncture not just plastic bags but human skin and flesh.
—Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
Your book is dealing with that too, this mortification of the flesh and Matrix-y refusal to engage with the body, denying the kids are going to find ways to make out in the bushes.
—Hazlitt, 3 Apr. 2024
Place the edge of the cup between the flesh and the skin.
—Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 29 Mar. 2024
The accusations of widespread cannibalism are based on what experts said was a likely intimidation tactic from select gang members: In some videos, the most prominent examples being at least two years old, alleged members of violent gangs in Haiti appear to bite into human flesh.
—David Ingram, NBC News, 13 Mar. 2024
The cup will act like a spoon, helping to separate the flesh cleanly from the skin.
—Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 29 Mar. 2024
The flesh shrinks and drops about 20 percent of its weight, creating meat with rich umami.
—Ann Maloney, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2024
If allowed to ripen past its hard stage, a breadfruit’s flesh softens into a sweet custard that can be a base for desserts.
—Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 2024
Forest animals had eaten away most of his flesh, save for that around his head, which had been protected by the mask.
—Clay Risen, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2024
Verb
Murphy fleshes him out with loaded silences and pained gestures, his pale, expressive eyes conveying a world of hurt, of trauma yanked back to the surface by startling experience.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Feb. 2024
And attempts to flesh the story out beyond the group of seven mostly fall flat.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 10 Dec. 2023
Having cooked up a viable enough scenario, Cody doesn’t quite seem to know how to flesh it out beyond going increasingly over the top, giving the comedy a nagging air of desperation.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Feb. 2024
So much work has been over the years to flesh that out into a more robust lifestyle destination.
—Chadner Navarro, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Dec. 2023
Advertisement Stevenson doodled the character, then called Nightshade, in high school, then fleshed her out in college: The shape-shifting, gleefully murderous outcast just wouldn’t go away.
—Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times, 15 Nov. 2023
Previously, Steiner wrote the seeds of the songs by herself, then fleshed them out with Sagan before bringing them to the rest of the group or other friends.
—Britt Julious, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2023
Having more characters meant fleshing them out in unique ways.
—WIRED, 17 June 2023
That final series of blows shows up a little past the halfway point in Cat Person the movie, however, and gets at the bigger problem that plagues this whole endeavor: how to flesh this out into a three-act narrative that works as a two-hour feature film.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 22 Jan. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flesh.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near flesh
Cite this Entry
“Flesh.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flesh. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
flesh
1 of 2 noun1
a
: the soft parts of the body of an animal and especially the muscular parts
b
: sleek plump condition of body
cattle in good flesh
2
: parts of an animal used as food
3
: the physical being of a person as distinguished from the soul
4
: a fleshy plant part (as the pulp of a fruit)
fleshed
adjective
ˈflesht
flesh
2 of 2 verb
: to make more complete by adding details
flesh out a story
Medical Definition
flesh
noun
: the soft parts of the body of an animal and especially of a vertebrate
especially
: the parts composed chiefly of skeletal muscle as distinguished from visceral structures, bone, and integuments see goose bumps, proud flesh
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share