definitions

sturdy

1
[ stur-dee ]
/ ˈstɜr di /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR sturdy ON THESAURUS.COM

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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RELATED WORDS

bulky, hulking, strapping, rugged, stiff, powerful, muscular, hearty, stout, robust, strong, athletic, determined, firm, flourishing, hardy, hefty, husky, lusty, resolute

Nearby words

stupendous, stupid, stupidity, stupor, sturbridge, sturdy, sturge-weber syndrome, sturgeon, sturges, sturgis, sturluson

Origin of sturdy

1
1250–1300; Middle English stourdi < Old French estourdi dazed, stunned, violent, reckless (past participle of estourdir < ?)

Related forms

stur·di·ly, adverbstur·di·ness, nounun·stur·di·ly, adverbun·stur·di·ness, noun

Definition for sturdy (2 of 2)

sturdy

2
[ stur-dee ]
/ ˈstɜr di /

noun Veterinary Pathology.

gid.

Origin of sturdy

2
1560–70; noun use of sturdy1 in obsolete sense “giddy”

Related forms

stur·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 Forms

sturdily, 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)

sturdy

2
/ (ˈstɜːdɪ) /

noun

vet science another name for staggers, gid

Derived Forms

sturdied, 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 Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012