chesty

IPA/ˈtʃesti/
IPA/ˈtʃesti/

chesty — adjective

  • chestypositive
  • chestiercomparative
  • chestiestsuperlative

1. (of a cough, cold, or illness) producing thick fluid deep in the lungs that the

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

(of a cough, cold, or illness) producing thick fluid deep in the lungs that the sick person feels they must cough up.

Example

Eli developed a chesty cough two days after catching the flu.

common collocation: chesty cough

The doctor said Saira's chesty cold would clear up within a week.

common collocation: chesty cold

Common collocations
  • chesty cough
  • chesty cold
  • sound chesty
  • feel chesty
Synonyms
  • phlegmy

    more informal; focuses on the mucus itself

  • congested

    broader; can apply to nose or sinuses, not just the chest

Antonyms
  • dry

    of a cough that produces no mucus

Usage Note

Mostly British English; American doctors usually say 'productive cough' or 'wet cough' for the same meaning. Often appears with 'cough', 'cold', or 'infection'.

Common Mistakes

I have a chesty in my throat.
I have a chesty cough.
'chesty' is an adjective and must describe a cough, cold, or person, not stand alone as a noun.

2. having a noticeably big or muscular chest, or (of a woman) having large breasts.

2.adjectiveC1
Definition

having a noticeably big or muscular chest, or (of a woman) having large breasts.

Example

Christopher became more chesty after a year of swimming and weight training.

describes muscular build

The tailor struggled to find a shirt that fit Minho's chesty frame.

attributive use with body-shape nouns

Common collocations
  • chesty frame
  • chesty build
  • tall and chesty
Synonyms
  • broad-chested

    neutral and more respectful; works in formal writing

  • busty

    informal; only used of women with large breasts

Antonyms
  • slight

    describes a small or thin body build

Usage Note

Can sound rude when applied to women's breasts; safer to use a different description in polite or professional contexts.

Common Mistakes

He has chesty.
He is chesty.' or 'He has a broad chest.
'chesty' is an adjective and follows 'be', not 'have'.

3. acting in a loud, confident way that shows the person thinks they are more impor

3.adjectiveC2
Definition

acting in a loud, confident way that shows the person thinks they are more important than everyone else.

Example

Tamás got chesty with the referee after a foul was called against his team.

common pattern: get chesty with someone

Sofia warned her younger brother not to act chesty around their grandfather.

common pattern: act chesty around someone

Common collocations
  • get chesty
  • act chesty
  • chesty attitude
Synonyms
  • cocky

    very close in meaning; slightly more about overconfidence than aggression

  • boastful

    focuses on bragging in words; chesty includes body language and tone

Antonyms
  • humble

    showing no pride in one's own abilities or status

Usage Note

Mostly American; carries a stronger tone of street confrontation than 'arrogant'. Often paired with 'get' or 'act'.

Common Mistakes

I felt chesty about my grades.
I felt proud of my grades.
'chesty' implies showing off or talking down to others, not quiet personal pride.

Word family

  • chest
    nounA2
  • chestiness
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe coughs or chest conditions, but they differ in focus and register. 'Chesty' is the most common in British English and points to a cough that brings up thick fluid from deep in the lungs; doctors and patients both use it. 'Phlegmy' names the mucus itself rather than the cough, so people use it for the throat as well as the chest, and it sounds more informal. 'Congested' is broader: it works for a blocked nose, blocked sinuses, or a blocked chest, and it does not require any coughing. 'Hacking' describes the sound of a harsh, repeated, dry cough, not the wetness, so a cough can be hacking without being chesty. Example: 'Saira has a chesty cough and a hacking voice from shouting at the match.'

chesty ↗phlegmycongested ↗hacking ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • chesty cough
  • chesty cold
  • chesty infection
  • chesty frame
  • chesty attitude

Phrases

  • get chesty
  • act chesty
  • sound chesty

Prepositions

  • chesty with (someone)

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Formed in English in the early 1800s by adding the common adjective ending '-y' to the noun 'chest'. The original meaning simply described something to do with the chest, especially coughs and colds. The 'large-chested' sense appeared later in American English, and the 'arrogant' sense grew from the picture of someone puffing out their chest to look important.