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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Born a Crime
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
This Week in Words: August 11 - 17, 2018
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
The technology, defense and engineering group’s robust contract win momentum across all segments and its record order book of S$34.5 billion underpin its medium-term growth outlook.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
Nvidia’s chief executive officer, Jensen Huang, set out an extremely bullish investment case after the announcement of robust quarterly results.
From MarketWatch • May 21, 2026
There are "robust and proven contingency plans" in place to minimise disruption should strike action go ahead, the spokesperson added.
From BBC • May 21, 2026
Glass, of course, set much text to music, sometimes with little stress and other times with robust melodiousness, but in all cases the words came first.
From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026
As time went on, people began to notice that Frodo also showed signs of good ‘preservation’: outwardly he retained the appearance of a robust and energetic hobbit just out of his tweens.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
![]()
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.