robust
[roh-buhst, roh-buhst]
- strong and healthy; hardy; vigorous: a robust young man; a robust faith; a robust mind.
- strongly or stoutly built: his robust frame.
- suited to or requiring bodily strength or endurance: robust exercise.
- rough, rude, or boisterous: robust drinkers and dancers.
- 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.
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Origin of robust
1540–50; < Latin rōbustus oaken, hard, strong, equivalent to rōbus-, stem of rōbur oak, strength + -tus adj. suffix
Synonyms
See more synonyms for robust on Thesaurus.com1. powerful, sound. 4. coarse, rambunctious.
Antonyms
1. feeble. 2. weak.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for robust
Contemporary Examples
Robust work in this area is coming from Jeffrey Gordon lab at Washington University in St. Louis.
But the malpractice system is not robust in China, and patients feel powerless.
To this end, a robust Special Operations Forces presence beyond simply a modest advisory effort should be sent to Iraq.
It was robust, easy to move around, relatively simple to operate, and deadly in its accuracy.
Several others claim to have seen a robust figure wearing a hat and a poncho crouched against a table in the library.
Historical Examples
We are creating a nation once again vibrant, robust, and alive.
And the robust anarchist, hanging his head on his breast, fell into a long reverie.
The Secret AgentJoseph Conrad
To the widow of Mr Verloc the robust anarchist was like a radiant messenger of life.
The Secret AgentJoseph Conrad
She made a perfect figure of robust health and vigorous purpose.
The Law-BreakersRidgwell Cullum
If I had never had a trouble before I had one now—large, stalwart, robust.
The First ViolinJessie Fothergill
robust
- strong in constitution; hardy; vigorous
- sturdily builta robust shelter
- requiring or suited to physical strengtha robust sport
- (esp of wines) having a rich full-bodied flavour
- rough or boisterous
- (of thought, intellect, etc) straightforward and imbued with common sense
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Word Origin
C16: from Latin rōbustus, from rōbur an oak, strength
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for robust
adj.
1540s, from Middle French robuste (14c.) and directly from Latin robustus "strong and hardy," literally "as strong as oak," originally "oaken," from robur, robus "hard timber, strength," also "a special kind of oak," named for its reddish heartwood, from Latin ruber "red" (cf. robigo "rust"), from PIE *reudh- (see red (adj.1)). Related: Robustly; robustness. Robustious (1540s) was a common form in 17c. (cf. "Hamlet" iii.2); it fell from use by mid-18c., but was somewhat revived by mid-19c. antiquarian writers.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper