rocky

[ rok-ee ]

/ ˈrɒk i /

SEE MORE 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.

Nearby words

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

Origin of rocky

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

Definition for rocky (2 of 3)

rocky

[ 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

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. 2019

Examples from the Web for rocky

These agricultural pests migrate in mid-summer to the Rocky Mountains from Kansas and Nebraska to beat the heat.
What It Takes to Kill a Grizzly Bear|Doug Peacock|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Democrats are struggling up and down the ticket in the Rocky Mountain State.
The 8 Most Competitive Congressional Races of 2014|Ben Jacobs|October 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
By contrast, the interior of big planets like Jupiter still hold some mysteries, such as whether they have rocky cores.
Saturn’s Death Star Look-Alike|Matthew R. Francis|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Well talking about big movies, you've been cast to play Apollo Creed's grandson in a new Rocky franchise installment.
Michael B. Jordan: Playing a Black Superhero in 'Fantastic Four' Is a 'Huge Responsibility'|Kevin Fallon|September 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST

It must be surreal to be working on a movie in the Rocky franchise and have Sylvester Stallone actually be there.
Michael B. Jordan: Playing a Black Superhero in 'Fantastic Four' Is a 'Huge Responsibility'|Kevin Fallon|September 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They are best suited for chalk districts or rocky ones, where they thrive most luxuriantly, and make a very brilliant display.
The Wild Garden|William Robinson
I am afraid to say at what angle the rocky wall went up above us.
To The West|George Manville Fenn
Across the entrance the floor sloped up to the rocky ridge, of which Mr. Rogers had spoken; and beyond the ridge lay the pool.
Major Vigoureux|A. T. Quiller-Couch
There was often dryness in his handling, and something too much of the theatrical in his wrecks on rocky shores.
A Text-Book of the History of Painting|John C. Van Dyke
The soil was rather stiff, and indicated a rocky formation, blocks of granite projecting from it in various directions.
Voyage Of H.M.S. Rattlesnake, Vol. 2 (of 2)|John MacGillivray

British Dictionary definitions for rocky (1 of 5)

rocky

/ (ˈrɒkɪ) /

adjective rockier or rockiest

consisting of or abounding in rocksa rocky shore

hard or unyieldingrocky determination

hard like rockrocky muscles

Derived Forms

rockily, adverbrockiness, noun

British Dictionary definitions for rocky (2 of 5)

rocky

/ (ˈrɒkɪ) /

adjective rockier or rockiest

weak, shaky, or unstable

informal (of a person) dizzy; sickly; nauseated

Derived Forms

rockily, adverbrockiness, noun

British Dictionary definitions for rocky (3 of 5)

rock

/ (rɒk) /

noun

geology any aggregate of minerals that makes up part of the earth's crust. It may be unconsolidated, such as a sand, clay, or mud, or consolidated, such as granite, limestone, or coalSee also igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic

any hard mass of consolidated mineral matter, such as a boulder

mainly US, Canadian and Australian a stone

a person or thing suggesting a rock, esp in being dependable, unchanging, or providing firm foundation

British a hard sweet, typically a long brightly-coloured peppermint-flavoured stick, sold esp in holiday resorts

slang a jewel, esp a diamond

short for rock salmon

(plural) slang the testicles

slang another name for crack (def. 29)

between a rock and a hard place having to choose between two equally unpleasant alternatives

on the rocks

in a state of ruin or destitution
(of drinks, esp whisky) served with ice

Word Origin for rock

C14: from Old French roche, of unknown origin

British Dictionary definitions for rocky (4 of 5)

rock

/ (rɒk) /

verb

to move or cause to move from side to side or backwards and forwards

to reel or sway or cause (someone) to reel or sway, as with a violent shock or emotion

(tr) to shake or move (something) violently

(intr) to dance in the rock-and-roll style

mining to wash (ore) or (of ore) to be washed in a cradle

(tr) to roughen (a copper plate) with a rocker before engraving a mezzotint

(tr) slang, mainly US to impress by wearing (an item of clothing) or playing (a musical instrument)She can still rock a miniskirt; He rocks a guitar like nobody’s business

rock the boat informal to create a disturbance in the existing situation

noun

a rocking motion

short for rock and roll

Also called: rock music any of various styles of pop music having a heavy beat, derived from rock and roll

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

Medicine definitions for rocky

Rock

[ rŏk ]

John 1890-1984

American gynecologist and obstetrician who helped develop the first effective oral contraceptive in 1954.

Science 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.

Idioms and Phrases with rocky

rock

In addition to the idioms beginning with rock

rock bottom
rocks in one's head, have
rock the boat

also see:

between a rock and a hard place
on the rocks
steady as a rock

rocky

adjective, rock·i·er, rock·i·est.

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RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of rocky

Definition for rocky (2 of 3)

rocky

adjective, rock·i·er, rock·i·est.

Origin of rocky

Definition for rocky (3 of 3)

Rock

or Rock·y

noun

Examples from the Web for rocky

British Dictionary definitions for rocky (1 of 5)

rocky

adjective rockier or rockiest

Derived Forms

British Dictionary definitions for rocky (2 of 5)

rocky

adjective rockier or rockiest

Derived Forms

British Dictionary definitions for rocky (3 of 5)

rock

noun

Word Origin for rock

British Dictionary definitions for rocky (4 of 5)

rock

verb

noun

Word Origin for rock

British Dictionary definitions for rocky (5 of 5)

Rock

noun the Rock

Medicine definitions for rocky

Rock

Science definitions for rocky

rock

Idioms and Phrases with rocky

rock