sturdy
1 Americanadjective
-
sturdier,
comparative
-
sturdiest
superlative
-
strongly built; stalwart; robust.
sturdy young athletes.
- Antonyms:
- weak
-
strong, as in substance, construction, or texture.
sturdy walls.
-
firm; courageous; indomitable.
the sturdy defenders of the Alamo.
- Synonyms:
- unconquerable, determined, vigorous, resolute
-
of strong or hardy growth, as a plant.
noun
adjective
-
healthy, strong, and vigorous
-
strongly built; stalwart
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of sturdy1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English stourdi, from Old French estourdi “dazed, reckless, stunned, violent,” past participle of estourdir “to daze, stun,” of disputed origin; perhaps ultimately from Latin ex- ex- 1 ( def. ) + a verb derivative of torpidus “numb,” turbus “disturbed,” or turdus “thrush”
Origin of sturdy2
First recorded in 1560–70; noun use of sturdy 1 in obsolete sense “giddy”
Explanation
Describe something that is firmly constructed or strongly made as sturdy. That house you built was not sturdy at all. It blew down in the last wind storm. Fortunately, it was only a dog house and the dog wasn't in it. Physical strength and robust health can also be described as sturdy. Your grandmother is pushing 80, but she is still pretty sturdy if she can beat you at tennis. The adjective sturdy can also describe something (or someone) determined, firm, stalwart, and steady. Hopefully, you and your siblings have a sturdy relationship, so you can withstand all the bickering over who gets to ride shotgun in the car.
Vocabulary lists containing sturdy
The Cay
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Beowulf vocabulary
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Vigorous Vocab: Synonyms for "Strong"
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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:
It was sturdy enough to support a single layer of muscle cells while remaining sufficiently lightweight to prevent the contracting cells from detaching from the surface.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2026
Yet Mr. Kean seems at times a little too eager to prove that “The Museum of Lost Things” isn’t a traditional history book, salting his otherwise sturdy prose with the occasional vulgarity or glib joke.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
Just make sure you have a sturdy chair when taking video.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026
Then come the chips: hot, sturdy, generously salted, piled into black woven baskets alongside ramekins of fire-engine-red mild salsa and a darker, spicier version flecked with onion and jalapeño.
From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2026
Farmer sent a driver in a sturdy four-wheel-drive pickup to retrieve me from the Port-au-Prince airport.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
Scanlon would have everything from thin, shiny shellac to sturdier "Builder In A Bottle" gel manicures layered onto her nails every other week without fail.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026
I just want them a little drier, a little sturdier, with some browning around the edges.
From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026
A bull market supported by several sectors is much sturdier than one balanced on a tower of parabolic semiconductor stocks.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
One consisted of fragile, dusty material, while the other was made of sturdier clumps that formed very early in hotter regions before spreading throughout the disk.
From Science Daily ● May 26, 2026
Caleb, sturdier than when I saw him last, didn’t stop singing his dog song, which was neither a true howl nor a bark.
From "Gone Crazy in Alabama" by Rita Williams-Garcia
Identifying the sturdiest pairing is another decision that could prove pivotal as England and Tuchel aim for a strong start to their campaign.
From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026
Of the many “Star Wars” offshoots, this seems to be the sturdiest.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026
The Bottom Line: Airline stocks are infamously volatile; if you’re going to take a flier, go for the sturdiest.
From Barron's ● Apr. 12, 2026
The sturdiest defense in the league has allowed just 22 goals in 29 games, the club’s attack has outscored 18 other teams this season.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 1, 2026
Star shot to the top to join the others picking seedpods while I made my way steadily up, trying to find the sturdiest branches to support me.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
