gravitationally challenged

English

Alternative forms

• gravitationally-challenged

Etymology

An ironic imitation of the perceived oversensitivity of language like mentally challenged.

Adjective

gravitationally challenged (comparative more gravitationally challenged, superlative most gravitationally challenged)

1. (humorous, euphemistic, of a person) Fat.
   • 1996 March 3, Diane Ketcham, “Long Island Journal”, in New York Times, retrieved 29 Aug. 2010:

     [T]he chunky Mr. Ackerman took to the stage. First he told fat jokes. . . . "I'm not fat. I'm gravitationally challenged."

   • 2002 July 6, Tania Kindersley, “A job for nanny”, in spectator.co.uk, retrieved 29 Aug. 2010:

     In America fat is the new f-word—instead, it's nutritionally endowed, or person of mass, or gravitationally challenged.

2. (euphemistic, often humorous) Of a person, having a poor sense of balance; subject to intervals of dizziness.
   • 2003 July 18, Leonard Klady, “MCM Review: Johnny English”, in Movie City News, retrieved 29 Aug. 2010:

     Consider that the person asking is Mr. Bean, the diminutive, awkward, gravitationally challenged, accident-prone incarnation served up by Rowan Atkinson.

Synonyms

• (fat): horizontally challenged
• See also Thesaurus:obese.

See also

• ethically challenged
• vertically challenged
• living impaired