Flesh — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈflesh/

Meaning & Definition of Flesh

Flesh (noun)

  1. 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
  2. the condition of having ample fat on the body
  3. skin

Flesh (verb)

  1. to clothe or cover with or as if with flesh; broadly, to give substance to —usually used with out
  2. to make fuller or more nearly complete —used with out
  3. to free from flesh

Flesh (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. animal and especially mammal tissue used as food

    "eats no flesh of any kind, only fruits, grains, and vegetables"

    similar: meat
    related: game, poultry, red meat, variety meat

Related Entry: Flesh (out) (verb)

Flesh (out) is a different word from Flesh. The synonyms below are for flesh (out), not for flesh.

  1. to express more fully and in greater detail

    "a lengthy follow-up that fleshes out the original report on the military engagement"

    similar: amplify, develop, dilate (on or upon), elaborate (on), enlarge (on or upon), expand
    related: add (to), complement, supplement, discourse, expatiate, ramble, run on
    opposite: abbreviate, abridge, condense, shorten
    near: compress, contract, outline, summarize, sum up

Related Entry: Make one's flesh creep (phrase)

Make one's flesh creep is a different word from Flesh. The synonyms below are for make one's flesh creep, not for flesh.

  1. to strike with fear

    "The poster for the horror movie made his flesh creep."

    similar: affright, alarm, fright, frighten, horrify, panic, scare, scarify, shock, spook, startle, terrify, terrorize, give one the creeps
    related: appall, bowl over, dismay, floor, jolt, shake, shake up, amaze, astound, awe, chill, daunt, demoralize, dispirit, emasculate, psych (out), undo, unman, unnerve, unstring, discomfort, discompose, disconcert, disquiet, distract, distress, disturb, perturb, unsettle, upset, worry
    opposite: reassure
    near: assure, cheer, comfort, console, solace, soothe, embolden, encourage, hearten, inspire, steel

Related Entry: Made one's flesh creep (phrase)

Made one's flesh creep is a different word from Flesh. The synonyms below are for made one's flesh creep, not for flesh.

  1. to strike with fear

    "The poster for the horror movie made his flesh creep."

    similar: affrighted, alarmed, frighted, frightened, horrified, panicked, scared, scarified, shocked, spooked, startled, terrified, terrorized, gave one the creeps
    related: appalled, bowled over, dismayed, floored, jolted, shook, shook up, amazed, astounded, awed, chilled, daunted, demoralized, dispirited, emasculated, psyched (out), undid, unmanned, unnerved, unstrung, discomforted, discomposed, disconcerted, disquieted, distracted, distressed, disturbed, perturbed, unsettled, upset, worried
    opposite: reassured
    near: assured, cheered, comforted, consoled, solaced, soothed, emboldened, encouraged, heartened, inspired, steeled

Related Entry: Makes one's flesh creep (phrase)

Makes one's flesh creep is a different word from Flesh. The synonyms below are for makes one's flesh creep, not for flesh.

  1. to strike with fear

    "The poster for the horror movie made his flesh creep."

    similar: affrights, alarms, frightens, frights, horrifies, panics, scares, scarifies, shocks, spooks, startles, terrifies, terrorizes, gives one the creeps
    related: appalls, bowls over, dismays, floors, jolts, shakes, shakes up, amazes, astounds, awes, chills, daunts, demoralizes, dispirits, emasculates, psychs (out), undoes, unmans, unnerves, unstrings, discomforts, discomposes, disconcerts, disquiets, distracts, distresses, disturbs, perturbs, unsettles, upsets, worries
    opposite: reassures
    near: assures, cheers, comforts, consoles, solaces, soothes, emboldens, encourages, heartens, inspires, steels

Related Entry: Making one's flesh creep (phrase)

Making one's flesh creep is a different word from Flesh. The synonyms below are for making one's flesh creep, not for flesh.

  1. to strike with fear

    "The poster for the horror movie made his flesh creep."

    similar: affrighting, alarming, frightening, frighting, horrifying, panicking, scarifying, scaring, shocking, spooking, startling, terrifying, terrorizing, giving one the creeps
    related: appalling, bowling over, dismaying, flooring, jolting, shaking, shaking up, amazing, astounding, awing, chilling, daunting, demoralizing, dispiriting, emasculating, psyching (out), undoing, unmanning, unnerving, unstringing, discomforting, discomposing, disconcerting, disquieting, distracting, distressing, disturbing, perturbing, unsettling, upsetting, worrying
    opposite: reassuring
    near: assuring, cheering, comforting, consoling, solacing, soothing, emboldening, encouraging, heartening, inspiring, steeling

Related Entry: Press (verb)

Press is a different word from Flesh. The synonyms below are for press, not for flesh.

  1. to take or make use of under a guise of authority but without actual right

    "the fleeing bank robber pressed a nearby taxi into service as a getaway car"

    similar: appropriate, arrogate, commandeer, convert, expropriate, pirate, preempt, seize, take over, usurp
    related: annex, attach, claim, confiscate, impound, repossess, sequester, assume, collar, grab, grasp, snatch, steal, wrench, wrest, despoil, loot, pillage, encroach, infringe, invade, occupy, preoccupy, trespass, embezzle, misapply, misappropriate, misuse, peculate

Related Entry: Press (verb)

Press is a different word from Flesh. The synonyms below are for press, not for flesh.

  1. to push steadily against with some force

    "an old doorbell that requires you to press the button hard"

    similar: bear (down on), depress, shove, weigh (on or upon)
    related: compress, mash, punch, squash, squeeze, squish, squoosh, compel, force, pressure, lean (on or against), muscle, drive, propel, thrust, compact, condense, constrict, contract, crush, scrunch, wring, cram, jam, jam-pack, pack, stuff, wedge

  2. to apply external pressure on so as to force out the juice or contents of

    "my family will only drink juice from freshly pressed oranges"

    similar: crush, express, mash, squeeze
    related: ream, pulp, puree, extract, extrude

  3. to gather into a closely packed group

    "everyone pressed around me to see the pictures"

    similar: bunch, cluster, crowd, huddle, pile
    related: assemble, collect, concenter, concentrate, conglomerate, congregate, convene, converge, flock, forgather, herd, swarm, throng, encircle, mob, surround, embrace, hug
    near: break up, disband, disperse, split (up)

  4. to force one's way

    "we continued to press deeper and deeper into the tangled rain forest"

    similar: bore, bull, bulldoze, crash, elbow, jam, jostle, muscle, push, shoulder, squeeze
    related: ram, shove, thrust

  5. to cause (a person) to give in to pressure

    "a manager pressed by a business crisis to return from his vacation ahead of schedule"

    similar: blackjack, coerce, compel, constrain, dragoon, drive, force, impel, impress, make, muscle, obligate, oblige, pressure, sandbag, twist one's arm
    related: browbeat, bulldoze, bully, cow, hector, intimidate, blackmail, high-pressure, menace, shame, terrorize, threaten, drag, badger, harass, hound
    near: allow, let, permit, argue, convince, induce, move, persuade, prevail (on or upon), satisfy, talk (into), win (over)

  6. to try to persuade (someone) through earnest appeals to follow a course of action

    "pressed us to go with them to the school board meeting"

    similar: egg (on), encourage, exhort, goad, nudge, prod, prompt, urge
    related: drive, propel, spur, stimulate, hurry, hustle, push, rush, adjure, beseech, implore, importune, blandish, cajole, coax, soft-soap, wheedle, high-pressure, nag, needle, pressure, foment, incite, instigate, provoke, stir (up)
    near: deter, discourage, dissuade, brake, check, constrain, curb, hold back, inhibit, restrain

  7. to indicate the importance of by centering attention on

    "an office e-mail that presses the need for greater vigilance concerning building security"

    similar: accent, accentuate, emphasize, feature, foreground, highlight, illuminate, play up, point (up), punctuate, stress, bear down on, make much of
    related: focus, identify, pinpoint, spotlight, advertise, boost, plug, promote, publicize, overplay
    opposite: de-emphasize, play down
    near: tone (down), underemphasize, understate, belittle, discount, disparage, minimize

Related Entry: Press (for) (verb)

Press (for) is a different word from Flesh. The synonyms below are for press (for), not for flesh.

  1. to ask for (something) earnestly or with authority

    "workers pressing for higher wages and better working conditions"

    similar: call (for), claim, clamor (for), command, demand, enjoin, exact, insist (on), quest, stipulate (for)
    related: ask, plead (for), request, want, cry (for), necessitate, need, require, take, warrant, requisition, impose, badger, dun, harass, hound
    near: give up, relinquish, surrender, yield

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Flesh

The most common words with a similar meaning to Flesh:

meat

Related Words for Flesh

game, poultry, red meat, variety meat

Word Forms of Flesh

Inflections: fleshed, fleshing, fleshes

Origin & Etymology of Flesh

Middle English, from Old English flǣsc; akin to Old High German fleisk flesh and perhaps to Old English flēan to flay flay

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Flesh

Words & Phrases Containing Flesh

flesh and blood, flesh-colored, flesh-eating, flesh-eating bacterium, flesh-eating disease, flesh fly, flesh-pressing, flesh wound

Frequently Asked Questions about Flesh

What does "Flesh" mean?

"Flesh" means 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. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: 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.

What is another word for "Flesh"?

Other words for "Flesh" include meat. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Flesh" you intend.

How do you use "Flesh" in a sentence?

Examples of "Flesh" in a sentence: "eats no flesh of any kind, only fruits, grains, and vegetables".

Is "Flesh" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Flesh" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Flesh" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Flesh" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Flesh"?

"Flesh" is pronounced /ˈflesh/.

What is the origin of the word "Flesh"?

"Flesh" comes from Middle English, from Old English flǣsc; akin to Old High German fleisk flesh and perhaps to Old English flēan to flay flay. First known use: before 12th century.

What is another word for "Flesh" meaning "animal and especially mammal tissue used as food"?

When "Flesh" (noun) means animal and especially mammal tissue used as food, synonyms include meat.