fatten
C1Neutral; commonly used in agricultural, financial, and informal contexts.
Definition
Meaning
To make or become fatter, especially by feeding.
To increase in size, amount, or value, often artificially or for strategic purposes.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Carries a literal sense (making animals/people fatter) and a figurative sense (increasing something's value or size). Often implies preparation for a specific purpose (e.g., slaughter, sale, use).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning. 'Fatten up' is common in both. Slight preference for 'fatten' in agricultural contexts in both regions.
Connotations
Neutral in agricultural/financial contexts. Can carry negative connotations of greed or exploitation when applied to people or abstract concepts.
Frequency
Moderate and comparable frequency in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
NP __ NP (transitive: They fatten the pigs.)NP __ (intransitive: The pigs fatten.)NP __ up NP (transitive phrasal: She fattened up the chickens.)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “fatten the calf (for the slaughter)”
- “fatten one's nest egg”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
To increase profits, margins, or the value of a company before a sale. 'The merger was designed to fatten the company's bottom line.'
Academic
Rare. Possibly in agricultural economics or biology texts discussing livestock management.
Everyday
Used literally for animals/pets, or jokingly for people. 'We need to fatten you up a bit!'
Technical
Primarily in animal husbandry and agriculture.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The farmers fatten the geese for Christmas.
- He invested to fatten his pension pot.
American English
- They're fattening the cattle on corn before sale.
- The bill included pork to fatten local budgets.
adverb
British English
- N/A (No standard adverb form).
American English
- N/A (No standard adverb form).
adjective
British English
- N/A (No standard adjective form 'fatten'; use 'fattening').
American English
- N/A (No standard adjective form 'fatten'; use 'fattening').
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The farmer will fatten the pig.
- They fatten the chickens with special feed to make them bigger.
- Eating too many cakes will fatten you up.
- The company took on extra debt to fatten its assets before the takeover bid.
- The pigs are fattening up nicely in the orchard.
- Critics accused the government of fattening the welfare rolls to secure votes.
- The hedge fund strategy was designed to fatten returns in a volatile market.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a FAT TEN-pound cat. You FATten it by feeding it until it weighs ten pounds.
Conceptual Metaphor
WEALTH/SUCCESS IS WEIGHT (to fatten one's wallet). PREPARATION IS FEEDING (to fatten up for the fight).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'to feed' (кормить). 'Fatten' implies feeding *to increase size/weight*.
- Avoid using for simple 'getting fat' (толстеть) unless the process of deliberate feeding is implied.
- The idiom 'fatten the calf' relates to preparation, not literal animal care.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'He fats the chicken.' (Correct: 'He fattens the chicken.')
- Incorrect use of preposition: 'fatten with corn' (less common) vs. 'fatten on corn' (more idiomatic).
Practice
Quiz
In a business context, what does it mean to 'fatten the margins'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, while its primary literal use is for livestock, it is commonly used figuratively for finances, profits, and other abstract quantities (e.g., fatten one's wallet, fatten the stats).
'Fatten up' is a phrasal verb that is often more informal and can imply a more intensive or thorough process. They are largely interchangeable, but 'fatten up' is more common in everyday speech about people or pets.
Yes, especially when applied to people (implying forced or excessive feeding) or in financial/political contexts (implying unethical or artificial inflation for personal gain).
The related adjective is 'fattening', used to describe food that causes weight gain (e.g., 'This dessert is very fattening'). There is no direct adjective 'fatten'.