rocky

1
[ rok-ee ]
/ ˈrɒk i /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR rocky ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, rock·i·er, rock·i·est.

full of or abounding in rocks.
consisting of rock.
rocklike: wood with a rocky hardness.
firm; steadfast: rocky endurance.
unfeeling; without sympathy or emotion: my rocky heart.

QUIZZES

TAKE THIS QUIZ TO SEE WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT 2ND-3RD GRADE VOCAB FROM BOOKS!

Are you learning new vocabulary? Or do you just have an interest in words? Either way, this quiz is for you.
Question 1 of 10
orchard
body of land completely surrounded by water
group of cultivated fruit trees
long mournful cry
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of rocky

1
late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at rock1, -y1

Words nearby rocky

rockweed, rockwell, rockwell number, rockwell, norman, rockwork, rocky, rocky hill, rocky mount, rocky mountain beeplant, rocky mountain bighorn, rocky mountain flowering raspberry

Definition for rocky (2 of 3)

rocky2
[ rok-ee ]
/ ˈrɒk i /

adjective, rock·i·er, rock·i·est.

inclined or likely to rock; tottering; shaky; unsteady.
difficult or uncertain; full of hazards or obstacles: a business with a rocky future.
physically unsteady or weak, as from sickness.

Origin of rocky

2
First recorded in 1730–40; rock2 + -y1

Definition for rocky (3 of 3)

Rock

or Rock·y

[ rok or rok-ee ]
/ rɒk or ˈrɒk i /

noun

a male given name.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to rocky

jagged, craggy, rough, tough, rugged, tricky, shaky, unstable, unsteady, flinty, hard, inflexible, petrified, solid, lapidarian, lithic, pebbly, petrous, rock-ribbed, adamant

Example sentences from the Web for rocky

British Dictionary definitions for rocky (1 of 5)

rocky1
/ (ˈrɒkɪ) /

adjective rockier or rockiest

consisting of or abounding in rocksa rocky shore
hard or unyieldingrocky determination
hard like rockrocky muscles

Derived forms of rocky

rockily, adverbrockiness, noun

British Dictionary definitions for rocky (2 of 5)

rocky2
/ (ˈrɒkɪ) /

adjective rockier or rockiest

weak, shaky, or unstable
informal (of a person) dizzy; sickly; nauseated

Derived forms of rocky

rockily, adverbrockiness, noun

British Dictionary definitions for rocky (3 of 5)

rock1
/ (rɒk) /

noun

Word Origin for rock

C14: from Old French roche, of unknown origin

British Dictionary definitions for rocky (4 of 5)

rock2
/ (rɒk) /

verb

noun

See also rock up

Word Origin for rock

Old English roccian; related to Middle Dutch, Old High German rocken, German rücken

British Dictionary definitions for rocky (5 of 5)

Rock
/ (rɒk) /

noun the Rock

an informal name for Gibraltar
a Canadian informal name for Newfoundland
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

Medical definitions for rocky

Rock
[ rŏk ]
John 1890-1984

American gynecologist and obstetrician who helped develop the first effective oral contraceptive in 1954.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Scientific definitions for rocky

rock
[ rŏk ]

A relatively hard, naturally occurring mineral material. Rock can consist of a single mineral or of several minerals that are either tightly compacted or held together by a cementlike mineral matrix. The three main types of rock are igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic.
A piece of such material; a stone.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Idioms and Phrases with rocky

rock
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.