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robust

American  
[roh-buhst, roh-buhst] / roʊˈbʌst, ˈroʊ bʌst /

adjective

  1. strong and healthy; hardy; vigorous.

    a robust young man; a robust faith; a robust mind.

    Synonyms:
    sound, powerful
    Antonyms:
    feeble
  2. strongly or stoutly built.

    his robust frame.

    Antonyms:
    weak
  3. suited to or requiring bodily strength or endurance.

    robust exercise.

  4. rough, rude, or boisterous.

    robust drinkers and dancers.

    Synonyms:
    rambunctious, coarse
  5. rich and full-bodied.

    the robust flavor of freshly brewed coffee.

  6. strong and effective in all or most situations and conditions.

    The system requires robust passwords that contain at least one number or symbol.

    Our goal is to devise robust statistical methods.


robust British  
/ ˈrəʊbʌst, rəʊˈbʌst /

adjective

  1. strong in constitution; hardy; vigorous

  2. sturdily built

    a robust shelter

  3. requiring or suited to physical strength

    a robust sport

  4. (esp of wines) having a rich full-bodied flavour

  5. rough or boisterous

  6. (of thought, intellect, etc) straightforward and imbued with common sense

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of robust

First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin rōbustus “oaken, hard, strong,” equivalent to rōbus- (stem of rōbur “oak, strength”) + -tus, adjective suffix

Explanation

Use robust to describe a person or thing that is healthy and strong, or strongly built. This adjective also commonly describes food or drink: a robust wine has a rich, strong flavor. If your school has a robust sports program, it means they offer lots of different kinds of sports and that a lot of kids participate. If you have a robust speaking voice, it means you have a voice that's deep and loud and strong. Robust is from Latin robustus "of oak, hard, strong," from robur "oak tree, strength."

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Vocabulary lists containing robust

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

It has also established an independent AI Security Institute to identify risks and evaluate advanced AI models, and signed agreements with the US to collaborate on "robust" AI testing methods.

From BBC Sep. 14, 2026

"But security arrangements for them have become robust over time."

From Barron's Sep. 14, 2026

Its earnings are likely to stay robust as Nomura sees tailwinds for the pharmaceutical company’s distinctive high-quality, affordable products from growth in the dermocosmetics market and consumers trading down in response to inflation.

From The Wall Street Journal Sep. 11, 2026

“It’s all a part of making our city more affordable. We know that this is one of the biggest issues in our city, and so having a strong, robust industry helps Angelenos across the board.”

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 10, 2026

Even their little sister, Gina, who was a few years younger, emanated a robust femininity that I came to think of simply as Gore-like.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

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