stocky
Americanadjective
-
of solid and sturdy form or build; thick-set and, usually, short.
-
having a strong, stout stem, as a plant.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of stocky
First recorded in 1350–1400, stocky is from the Middle English word stokky. See stock, -y 1
Explanation
The adjective stocky means wide and sturdy. The big, strong guy who works tossing heavy boxes up on a loading dock at a warehouse is stocky. People who are stocky tend to be somewhat short and fairly heavy. Your stocky next-door neighbor is strong and solid, and his stocky bull dog is too. Interestingly, stocky meant "made of wood" back in 1400, and it was also used to distinguish "weedy" plants from more woody ones. Stocky has evolved since then to describe people with bodies "like tree trunks."
Vocabulary lists containing stocky
On the Come Up
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"American History" by Judith Ortiz Cofer
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The Son of Neptune
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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.
Stocky and exuding a nervy confidence, Gordon had long-running ties to Cambodia.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 8, 2025
Stocky and with a dark trace of a mustache, Mr. Sánchez enjoyed his job as foreman.
From New York Times • May 30, 2022
Stocky and smush-faced, French bulldogs have their charms — at least in fans’ eyes — but also their limitations.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 16, 2021
Stocky and smush-faced, French bulldogs have their charms - at least in fans’ eyes - but also their limitations.
From Washington Times • Mar. 16, 2021
Stocky, with a lug’s jaw, a throaty, smoke- roughened voice, he had left home to follow the Grateful Dead the summer before but had never stopped.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
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.
