stout
adjective
stout
1 American
[stout]
/ staʊt /
adjective
stouter,
stoutest
-
bulky in figure; heavily built; corpulent; thickset; fat.
She is getting too stout for her dresses.
-
bold, brave, or dauntless.
a stout heart; stout fellows.
- Synonyms:
- courageous, indomitable, fearless, intrepid, gallant, valiant
-
stout resistance.
- Synonyms:
- stanch, steadfast, indomitable, obstinate
-
a stout argument; a stout wind.
-
strong of body; hearty; sturdy.
stout seamen.
-
having endurance or staying power, as a horse.
-
strong in substance or body, as a beverage.
-
strong and thick or heavy.
a stout cudgel.
noun
stouts
plural
-
a dark, sweet brew made of roasted malt and having a higher percentage of hops than porter.
-
porter of extra strength.
-
a stout person.
-
a garment size designed for a stout man.
-
a garment, as a suit or overcoat, in this size.
Stout
2
American
[stout]
/ staʊt /
noun
-
Rex (Todhunter) 1886–1975, U.S. detective novelist.
-
Robert, 1844–1930, New Zealand jurist and statesman: prime minister 1884–87.
stout
1
British
/ staʊt /
adjective
-
solidly built or corpulent
-
(prenominal) resolute or valiant
stout fellow
-
strong, substantial, and robust
-
courage; resolution
noun
Stout
2
British
/ staʊt /
noun
Synonym Usage
Stout, fat, plump imply corpulence of body. Stout describes a heavily built but usually strong and healthy body: a handsome stout lady. Fat, an informal word with unpleasant connotations, suggests an unbecoming fleshy stoutness; it may, however, apply also to a hearty fun-loving type of stout person: a fat old man; fat and jolly. Plump connotes a pleasing roundness and is often used as a complimentary or euphemistic equivalent for stout, fleshy, etc.: a pleasingly plump figure attractively dressed.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
overstoutnessnoun
-
stoutnessnoun
-
unstoutnessnoun
-
overstoutadjective
-
stoutishadjective
-
unstoutadjective
-
overstoutlyadverb
-
stoutlyadverb
-
unstoutlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of stout
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English adjective stute, from Old French estout “bold, proud,” from Germanic; compare Middle Dutch stout “bold,” Middle Low German stolt, Middle High German stolz “proud”
Explanation
Stout describes something fat, dependable, or rugged. If someone calls you stout, ask them exactly what they mean before bursting into tears and skipping dinner. It could be a compliment! Most supermodels would not want to be described as stout, which is often a nicer way of saying "fat." But a little teapot doesn't mind being "short and stout." Something stout is dependable, too, like your favorite snow boots that keep your feet dry winter after winter. Since it also means "sturdy," if you call that supermodel stout when he prances through the finish line of a triathlon, he'll just pump his fist in agreement.
Vocabulary lists containing stout
"Everyday Use" by Alice Walker
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"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act III
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"The First Day of School," Vocabulary from the short story
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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:
Churchill was a short, stout, luxury-loving aristocrat, while de Gaulle was a tall, angular ascetic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 13, 2026
Speaking to AFP after a conference at the French Institute of International Relations think tank, Wright said Europe should not worry as the United States remained a "stout ally".
From Barron's ● Feb. 17, 2026
Cleveland relies on its stout defense, but that unit didn’t show up in Week 15 against Chicago, surrendering 31 points.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 18, 2025
I cruised into the little town of Clifden at a stout 125 kilometers per hour on a narrow two-lane road just as Storm Bram was ravaging Ireland’s Atlantic coast.
From Salon ● Dec. 12, 2025
The iguanodon’s thumb has been placed on its nose, as a kind of spike, and it stands on four sturdy legs, making it look like a rather stout and awkwardly overgrown dog.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
A woman testified that she saw Stout get out of the flaming car and push it over the dirt mound, where it rolled down the embankment and ignited the dry vegetation at the bottom.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
Garcia disclosed only a pension, worth $100,001 to $250,000, while Padilla Stout only listed a bank account, a mutual fund and her spouse’s retirement plans.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026
Some, like Democrats Johnny Garcia and Katy Padilla Stout, both running in Republican-leaning districts in South Texas, have maximum net worths of under $250,000.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026
By Elizabeth Stout Random House: 224 pages, $29 If you buy books linked on our site, The Times may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookstores.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 5, 2026
Their host, a grizzled one-armed petty lord by the name of Harwood Stout, knew better than to refuse him, though by now his larders must be well nigh exhausted.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
"A lot of pubs don't sell other stouts."
From BBC ● Dec. 8, 2024
The Fremont hot spot put on events spotlighting stouts, sours, barleywines and barrel-aged ales, often drawing lines hours before the doors opened for these events.
From Seattle Times ● May 28, 2024
In the past three weeks, two Black-owned breweries have debuted in the Central District to large African American turnout, many hoisting hazy IPAs and stouts, and breaking boundaries in an industry with few Black owners.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 29, 2022
With such an array of flavors and ways to make these stouts truly unique, surely there's a barrel-aged beer for everyone.
From Salon ● Feb. 15, 2022
"Some stouts are sweeter; some are a little lighter."
From O+F by Wetterau, John Moncure
Mr. Walesa is now 82 and stouter than he was when he hurdled that fence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 13, 2026
Some snakes, such as boa constrictors, had long, slender upright teeth, whereas others, such as king snakes, had shorter, stouter, and more curved ones.
From Science Magazine ● Jan. 4, 2024
Things are a bit stouter on the defensive side where four teams, led by No. 22 Florida, among the top 20 in yards given up this season.
From Washington Times ● Sep. 27, 2023
The researchers suspect physical activity changes levels of brain chemicals related to mood, such as dopamine and serotonin, and reduces inflammation throughout the body and brain, contributing physiologically to stouter mental health.
From New York Times ● Jan. 12, 2022
She recognized Lord Mathis Rowan, stouter and more florid than ever, the golden tree of his House spread across his white doublet.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
On X, formerly Twitter, Elbridge Colby, a former US deputy assistant secretary of defence in the Trump administration, wrote that Japan and India "are two of our very stoutest and important allies".
From BBC ● May 2, 2024
Granted, he wasn’t facing the stoutest of defenses.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 1, 2023
Grover Stewart and the Colts have been one of the stoutest run defenses in the NFL.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 30, 2022
Now he was being thrust into 70 snaps against one of the Pac-12’s stoutest interiors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2022
The pain, which is written on her face, would fell the stoutest soldier, but she does not complain.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
