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• stout
  stout

  adjective

  bulky in figure; heavily built; corpulent; thickset; fat.
• Stout
  Stout

  noun

  Rex (Todhunter) 1886–1975, U.S. detective novelist.

stout

¹ American  

[stout] / staʊt /

adjective

stouter, stoutest

1. 

   bulky in figure; heavily built; corpulent; thickset; fat.

   She is getting too stout for her dresses.

   Synonyms:

   fleshy, portly, stocky, rotund, big

   Antonyms:

   skinny, slim, slender, lean, thin, scrawny

2. bold, brave, or dauntless.

   a stout heart; stout fellows.

   Synonyms:

   courageous, indomitable, fearless, intrepid, gallant, valiant

   Antonyms:

   fearful, timid, cowardly, craven, timorous

3. firm; stubborn; resolute.

   stout resistance.

   Synonyms:

   stanch, steadfast, indomitable, obstinate

4. forceful; vigorous.

   a stout argument; a stout wind.

   Synonyms:

   violent, sharp, intense

5. strong of body; hearty; sturdy.

   stout seamen.

   Synonyms:

   robust, husky, strapping, sinewy, brawny

6. having endurance or staying power, as a horse.

   Synonyms:

   steady, stalwart

7. strong in substance or body, as a beverage.

   Antonyms:

   flat, bland, tasteless, weak

8. strong and thick or heavy.

   a stout cudgel.

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noun

• stouts
  plural

1. a dark, sweet brew made of roasted malt and having a higher percentage of hops than porter.

2. porter of extra strength.

3. a stout person.

4. a garment size designed for a stout man.

5. a garment, as a suit or overcoat, in this size.

Stout ² American  

[stout] / staʊt /

noun

1. Rex (Todhunter) 1886–1975, U.S. detective novelist.

2. Robert, 1844–1930, New Zealand jurist and statesman: prime minister 1884–87.

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stout ¹ British  

/ staʊt /

adjective

1. solidly built or corpulent

2. (prenominal) resolute or valiant

   stout fellow

3. strong, substantial, and robust

4. courage; resolution

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noun

1. strong porter highly flavoured with malt

Stout ² British  

/ staʊt /

noun

1. Sir Robert. 1844–1930, New Zealand statesman, born in Scotland: prime minister of New Zealand (1884–87)

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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

• overstoutness
  noun
• stoutness
  noun
• unstoutness
  noun
• overstout
  adjective
• stoutish
  adjective
• unstout
  adjective
• overstoutly
  adverb
• stoutly
  adverb
• unstoutly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• stouts
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

stout Stout stouts stouter stoutest

Think about drinks produced in Ireland and you'd probably picture a creamy pint of stout or a tumbler of amber whiskey.

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026

With Atkinson in stout support, the Surrey pair halted New Zealand's charge.

From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026

As the head of beer quality for Guinness in the U.S., it’s his job to make sure that bartenders have everything they need to deliver drinkers a perfect pint of the brand’s signature stout.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 19, 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

He was a stout boy with braces so heavily rubber-banded that his mouth looked like a cat’s cradle.

From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart

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

One trainer and his family were drawn to the "shining lights of the new facility" west of Brisbane, Simon Stout from Greyhounds Australasia told a parliamentary committee hearing in Tasmania on Wednesday.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 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

Harwood Stout bowed stiffly and relinquished his hall without a word.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

"A lot of pubs don't sell other stouts."

From BBC ● Dec. 8, 2024

Alcohol-free beer: Today, lagers, stouts and ales can all be found in non-alcoholic form.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 4, 2024

Molasses, cardamom, nutmeg and cinnamon flavors are all throughout many fall stouts.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 25, 2022

With such an array of flavors and ways to make these stouts truly unique, surely there's a barrel-aged beer for everyone.

From Salon ● Feb. 15, 2022

For mild ales and porters about 3 to 4 lb, for light pale ales and light stouts 6 to 10 lb, and for strong ales and stouts 9 to 15 lb of hops are employed.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3 "Brescia" to "Bulgaria" by Various

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

His offensive line appears stouter than it’s been in years.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 5, 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

The clothes were poorly fitted for my frame, being cut for one much stouter, and the breeches fairly flapped about my knees.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

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

There will be fleshy linemen and muscle-bound pass rushers battling to be proved the stoutest.

From New York Times ● Nov. 28, 2011

They had heard enough about Efrafa to daunt the stoutest heart.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams

Related Words

• hulking
• indomitable
• muscular
• staunch
• sturdy
• tenacious
• vigorous