stout
adjective
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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
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
Other artefacts include an empty bottle of Armstrong and Dickie stout, likely produced at the former aerated waterworks site at the nearby Whitesands.
From BBC ● May 4, 2026
A stout, grouchy Clock Watcher in a hardhat and a sleeveless flannel shirt, who carried an aluminum lunch pail, said, “I’m knocking off for the day!”
From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles
More than two centuries on, the ledger containing over 100 handwritten recipes, including IPA, Pale Ale, Double Diamond, Stout, Arctic Ale and dozens of forgotten brews, was found in an attic in Leeds.
From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026
Starring newcomers Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Alastair Stout as Ronald Weasley and Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, the series promises a richer, more detailed adaptation of the books, along with a more contemporary feel.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
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
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 one-armed lord could only be Harwood Stout, the snow lady Barbrey Dustin.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
"A lot of pubs don't sell other stouts."
From BBC ● Dec. 8, 2024
Molasses, cardamom, nutmeg and cinnamon flavors are all throughout many fall stouts.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 25, 2022
While I only recently came around to pumpkin as a dessert flavor, I’ve always been a fan of stouts.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 25, 2022
Another popular release, Continuance, is made from a blend of imperial stouts, barleywine, and other barrel-aged beers.
From Salon ● Feb. 15, 2022
Here at least I think England cannot match Ireland, for our stouts are, as a rule, too sweet and "clammy."
From Modern Essays by Harry Morgan Ayres
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 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 bigger guys are a little bit stouter in pass protection.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 1, 2021
To Legolas she gave a bow such as the Galadhrim used, longer and stouter than the bows of Mirkwood, and strung with a string elf-hair.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
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
Golfers rarely dwell on the past; even the best hit enough bad shots to break the stoutest heart.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 26, 2021
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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