sturdy
1 Americanadjective
-
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
- sturdied adjective
- sturdily adverb
- sturdiness noun
- unsturdily adverb
- unsturdiness noun
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”
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.
Moorish horse breeds were crossed with native stock to create a sturdy and agile beast for managing cattle.
From Los Angeles Times
Mr. Greenberg, who won a Tony for “Take Me Out,” was among the smartest and most literate playwrights of his generation, certainly wise enough to understand the sturdy strength of Barry’s structure and plotting.
They have given way to giants armed with sturdy balance sheets that can better weather price shocks.
The afternoon’s big winner was “Train Dreams,” the little movie that could, one that emerged 13 months ago at Sundance 2025 and is now proving itself to be one of Netflix’s sturdiest Oscar contenders.
From Los Angeles Times
The labor market, meanwhile, might be less sturdy than the report this past week suggested.
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.
