robust
Americanadjective
-
strong and healthy; hardy; vigorous.
a robust young man; a robust faith; a robust mind.
- Antonyms:
- feeble
-
strongly or stoutly built.
his robust frame.
- Antonyms:
- weak
-
suited to or requiring bodily strength or endurance.
robust exercise.
-
rough, rude, or boisterous.
robust drinkers and dancers.
- Synonyms:
- rambunctious, coarse
-
rich and full-bodied.
the robust flavor of freshly brewed coffee.
-
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.
adjective
-
strong in constitution; hardy; vigorous
-
sturdily built
a robust shelter
-
requiring or suited to physical strength
a robust sport
-
(esp of wines) having a rich full-bodied flavour
-
rough or boisterous
-
(of thought, intellect, etc) straightforward and imbued with common sense
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."
Vocabulary lists containing robust
"The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant
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Born a Crime
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This Week in Words: August 11 - 17, 2018
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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.
“Over 90% of the company’s investments in the coming years will be in regulated businesses, underpinned by robust frameworks that offer a high degree of earnings and cash-flow visibility,” the analysts say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
The report described the recommendations as "robust" and said they "should minimise the likelihood of a recurrence or similar tragedy".
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
Despite BMW’s profitability falling to 25-year lows, even as global demand outside China remains robust, BMW’s plans assume business as usual, requiring simply better execution on costs, Citi says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
That includes flexible class offerings, basic needs assistance, robust counseling and the use of data to understand where students are falling through the cracks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
I wrote Winnie two letters about a particularly beautiful tomato plant, how I coaxed it from a tender seedling to a robust plant that produced deep red fruit.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
