stout
adjective
stout
1 American
[staut]
/ staʊt /
adjective
stouter,
stoutest
-
bulky in figure; heavily built; corpulent; thickset; fat.
She is getting too stout for her dresses.
-
bold, brave, or dauntless.
a stout heart; stout fellows.
- Synonyms:
- courageous, indomitable, fearless, intrepid, gallant, valiant
-
stout resistance.
- Synonyms:
- stanch, steadfast, indomitable, obstinate
-
a stout argument; a stout wind.
-
strong of body; hearty; sturdy.
stout seamen.
-
having endurance or staying power, as a horse.
-
strong in substance or body, as a beverage.
-
strong and thick or heavy.
a stout cudgel.
noun
-
stouts
plural
-
a dark, sweet brew made of roasted malt and having a higher percentage of hops than porter.
-
porter of extra strength.
-
a stout person.
-
a garment size designed for a stout man.
-
a garment, as a suit or overcoat, in this size.
Stout
2
American
[staut]
/ staʊt /
noun
-
Rex (Todhunter) 1886–1975, U.S. detective novelist.
-
Robert, 1844–1930, New Zealand jurist and statesman: prime minister 1884–87.
stout
1
British
/ staʊt /
adjective
-
solidly built or corpulent
-
(prenominal) resolute or valiant
stout fellow
-
strong, substantial, and robust
-
courage; resolution
noun
Stout
2
British
/ staʊt /
noun
Synonym Usage
Stout, fat, plump imply corpulence of body. Stout describes a heavily built but usually strong and healthy body: a handsome stout lady. Fat, an informal word with unpleasant connotations, suggests an unbecoming fleshy stoutness; it may, however, apply also to a hearty fun-loving type of stout person: a fat old man; fat and jolly. Plump connotes a pleasing roundness and is often used as a complimentary or euphemistic equivalent for stout, fleshy, etc.: a pleasingly plump figure attractively dressed.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
overstoutnessnoun
-
stoutnessnoun
-
unstoutnessnoun
-
overstoutadjective
-
stoutishadjective
-
unstoutadjective
-
overstoutlyadverb
-
stoutlyadverb
-
unstoutlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of stout
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English adjective stute, from Old French estout “bold, proud,” from Germanic; compare Middle Dutch stout “bold,” Middle Low German stolt, Middle High German stolz “proud”
Explanation
Stout describes something fat, dependable, or rugged. If someone calls you stout, ask them exactly what they mean before bursting into tears and skipping dinner. It could be a compliment! Most supermodels would not want to be described as stout, which is often a nicer way of saying "fat." But a little teapot doesn't mind being "short and stout." Something stout is dependable, too, like your favorite snow boots that keep your feet dry winter after winter. Since it also means "sturdy," if you call that supermodel stout when he prances through the finish line of a triathlon, he'll just pump his fist in agreement.
Vocabulary lists containing stout
"Everyday Use" by Alice Walker
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"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act III
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"The First Day of School," Vocabulary from the short story
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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.
See Examples For:
Denver is a tough place to play, and the Broncos defense is stout.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
About 70,000 pints worth of the stout, estimated to be worth £115,000, were taken from Whitehouse Industrial Estate on Aston Lane in Runcorn on Monday, Cheshire Police said.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
One man was summarily expelled after he posted a shot of Baby Guinness, a coffee-liqueur cocktail that looks like a stout but has no actual beer in it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
With Atkinson in stout support, the Surrey pair halted New Zealand's charge.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
Then I grabbed a stout branch and jumped.
From "Lost Boy, Lost Girl" by John Bul Dau
The new series adaptation of the best-selling books stars newcomer Dominic McLaughlin as the boy wizard, Alastair Stout as his best friend Ron Weasley and Arabella Stanton as the young witch Hermione Granger.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
A judge found Ronnie Stout guilty of starting the devastating Park fire.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
The woman told the judge she then saw Stout blend into the crowd of people rushing to evacuate from the Alligator Hole swimming area.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
Some, like Democrats Johnny Garcia and Katy Padilla Stout, both running in Republican-leaning districts in South Texas, have maximum net worths of under $250,000.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026
Elsewhere one-armed Harwood Stout talked quietly with the cadaverous Whoresbane Umber.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
"A lot of pubs don't sell other stouts."
From BBC ● Dec. 8, 2024
The Fremont hot spot put on events spotlighting stouts, sours, barleywines and barrel-aged ales, often drawing lines hours before the doors opened for these events.
From Seattle Times ● May 28, 2024
When it comes to stouts, Washington’s breweries know what they’re doing, and one of my favorites is Métier Brewing’s seasonal delight Grandma’s Hands.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 19, 2023
And this past year, Anchorage began releasing several stouts on Tavour, meaning every month or so you had an easier chance of trying the rare elixirs.
From Salon ● Feb. 15, 2022
"Some stouts are sweeter; some are a little lighter."
From O+F by John Moncure Wetterau
Mr. Walesa is now 82 and stouter than he was when he hurdled that fence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 13, 2026
Some snakes, such as boa constrictors, had long, slender upright teeth, whereas others, such as king snakes, had shorter, stouter, and more curved ones.
From Science Magazine ● Jan. 4, 2024
Things are a bit stouter on the defensive side where four teams, led by No. 22 Florida, among the top 20 in yards given up this season.
From Washington Times ● Sep. 27, 2023
Crist has dismissed Fried’s criticisms as last-ditch efforts to counter his stouter fundraising and high-profile endorsements.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 21, 2022
It was not the rat-faced man; this gaoler was stouter, shorter, though he wore the same leather half cape and spiked steel cap.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
On X, formerly Twitter, Elbridge Colby, a former US deputy assistant secretary of defence in the Trump administration, wrote that Japan and India "are two of our very stoutest and important allies".
From BBC ● May 2, 2024
Grover Stewart and the Colts have been one of the stoutest run defenses in the NFL.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 30, 2022
A flagon of your stoutest for my friend.
From New York Times ● Oct. 14, 2022
Now he was being thrust into 70 snaps against one of the Pac-12’s stoutest interiors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2022
In this awful situation, the stoutest hearts began to fail.
From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy
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