"Big Beautiful Woman" (BBW) is a positive (non-pejorative) term for an overweight woman.
Meaning and usage The terms "Big Beautiful Women" and "BBW" were coined by Carole Shaw in 1979, when she launched BBW Magazine, a fashion and lifestyle magazine for "plus-size" women. BBW Magazine trademarked the term "Big Beautiful Woman", which was later transferred to Dimensions Magazine. The term was also the name of Drake's 2026 song, BBW.
The term is also commonly used as a positive euphemism by those involved with the fat acceptance movement.
The term has several near-synonyms with varying shades of meaning, such as "full-figured", "voluptuous", "zaftig", and "Rubenesque", the latter term referring to the art of Peter Paul Rubens, known for portraying full-bodied women.
Variants The acronym BBBW stands for . Another variant is SSBBW, which stands for . There is no formal definition which explains the exact difference between BBW and SSBBW. Some BBWs or SSBBWs consider themselves to be feedees. Dimensions Magazine considers a woman over to be an SSBBW.
USSBBW may also be used, for "ultra supersized big beautiful woman". Again, there is no formal definition, however BBWWiki suggests women over to be considered USSBBWs, but acknowledges that "opinions vary."
See also Fat acceptance movement Fat fetishism Female body shape Venus figurine Bear (gay culture) Obesity
References
External links
BBW Magazine site Free site of Dimensions Magazine, previously associated with NAAFA, a "size-positive" lifestyle magazine with resources and forums. National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance is a non-profit human rights organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for fat people.