sturdy
1[ stur-dee ]
/ ˈstɜr di /
adjective, stur·di·er, stur·di·est.
strongly built; stalwart; robust: sturdy young athletes.
strong, as in substance, construction, or texture: sturdy walls.
firm; courageous; indomitable: the sturdy defenders of the Alamo.
of strong or hardy growth, as a plant.
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Nearby words
stupid, stupidity, stupidly, stupor, sturbridge, sturdy, sturge-weber syndrome, sturgeon, sturges, sturges, preston, sturgis
Origin of sturdy
11250–1300; Middle English stourdi < Old French estourdi dazed, stunned, violent, reckless (past participle of estourdir < ?)
SYNONYMS FOR sturdy
Related formsstur·di·ly, adverbstur·di·ness, nounun·stur·di·ly, adverbun·stur·di·ness, noun
Definition for sturdy (2 of 2)
Origin of sturdy
21560–70; noun use of sturdy1 in obsolete sense “giddy”
Related formsstur·died, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for sturdy (1 of 2)
sturdy
1/ (ˈstɜːdɪ) /
adjective -dier or -diest
healthy, strong, and vigorous
strongly built; stalwart
Derived Formssturdily, adverbsturdiness, noun
Word Origin for sturdy
C13 (in the sense: rash, harsh): from Old French estordi dazed, from estordir to stun, perhaps ultimately related to Latin turdus a thrush (taken as representing drunkenness)
British Dictionary definitions for sturdy (2 of 2)
Derived Formssturdied, adjective
Word Origin for sturdy
C17: from sturdy 1 (in the obsolete sense: giddy)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for sturdy
sturdy
c.1300, "hard to manage, reckless, violent," from Old French estourdi "violent," originally "dazed," past participle of estourdir "to daze," from Vulgar Latin *exturdire, which is presumed to be from Latin intensive prefix ex + turdus "thrush." Perhaps the notion is of thrushes eating leftover grapes at wineries and acting drunk (Italian tordo "thrush" also means "simpleton," and French has the expression soûl comme une grive "drunk as a thrush"). OED, however, regards all this as "open to grave objection." Sense of "solidly built, strong and hardy" first recorded late 14c.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper