stout
adjective
stout
1 American
[stout]
/ 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
[stout]
/ 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:
If successful, researchers could recreate the taste of Guinness as it was brewed in 1864 using samples of the recovered stout.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 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
After a stout display of Irish defending, Wales landed some big hits on the hosts at the other end before Crowley darted through a gap for a well-taken try that he failed to convert.
From BBC ● Mar. 6, 2026
Diageo, the maker of Guinness stout and Smirnoff vodka, cut its sales outlook and slashed shareholder payouts Wednesday, as its new chief executive seeks to revive the struggling drinks group.
From Barron's ● Feb. 25, 2026
The auditorium is dimly lit, with most of the lighting focused on the stage, where a stout white lady stands behind a wide glass podium.
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
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
Multiple other witnesses who were in the area that day saw the photos, recognized Stout and contacted CalFire.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
Garcia disclosed only a pension, worth $100,001 to $250,000, while Padilla Stout only listed a bank account, a mutual fund and her spouse’s retirement plans.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026
The chosen ones - Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout - are all relative newcomers.
From BBC ● Mar. 25, 2026
Stout and short of breath, she dabbed constantly at her moist forehead and neck.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
"A lot of pubs don't sell other stouts."
From BBC ● Dec. 8, 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
Molasses, cardamom, nutmeg and cinnamon flavors are all throughout many fall stouts.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 25, 2022
Some of the hardest-to-acquire barrel-aged stouts come out of Side Project, including Beer : Barrel : Time, a barrel-aged stout that doesn't use any adjuncts.
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
The coach was hoping that this year would be stouter from the start.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 3, 2022
The researchers suspect physical activity changes levels of brain chemicals related to mood, such as dopamine and serotonin, and reduces inflammation throughout the body and brain, contributing physiologically to stouter mental health.
From New York Times ● Jan. 12, 2022
But it was taller and stouter than Mrs. Dalton.
From "Native Son" by Richard Wright
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
Now he was being thrust into 70 snaps against one of the Pac-12’s stoutest interiors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2022
That might also mean more time for UW's stoutest linebacker, Thomas Tutogi.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 7, 2012
They had heard enough about Efrafa to daunt the stoutest heart.
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
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.
