Log in or Sign up
  1. robust love

Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. adj. Full of health and strength; vigorous.
  2. adj. Powerfully built; sturdy. See Synonyms at healthy.
  3. adj. Requiring or suited to physical strength or endurance: robust labor.
  4. adj. Rough or crude; boisterous: a robust tale.
  5. adj. Marked by richness and fullness; full-bodied: a robust wine.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. Having or indicating great strength; strong; lusty; sinewy; muscular; sound; vigorous: as, a robust body; robust youth; robust health.
  2. Violent; rough; rude.
  3. Requiring vigor or strength: as, robust employment.
  4. In zoology, stout; thick: as, a robust joint; robust antennæ. Synonyms Strong, Robust, Lusty, Sturdy, Stalwart, Stout, hale, hearty, brawny, mighty, powerful. Strong is the generic term among these, and is the most widely used in figurative applications. By derivation it means having the power of exerting great muscular force. Robust suggests an oaken strength, hence compactness, toughness, soundness of constitution, blooming health, and good size if not largeness of frame. Lusty characterizes the kind of strength that one enjoys possessing, abounding health, strength, vitality, and spirits. Sturdy suggests compactness and solidity even more than robust does; it expresses a well-knit strength that is hard to shake or resist, standing strongly upon its feet. Stalwart suggests tallness or largeness with great strength or sturdiness. Stout is little different from strong; it sometimes means strong to do or to support burdens: as, a stout defender; a stout porter carrying a heavy trunk.

Wiktionary

  1. adj. Evincing strength; indicating vigorous health; strong; sinewy; muscular; vigorous; sound; as, a robust body; robust youth; robust health.
  2. adj. Violent; rough; rude.
  3. adj. Requiring strength or vigor; as, robust employment.
  4. adj. Sensible (of intellect etc.); straightforward, not given to or confused by uncertainty or subtlety;
  5. adj. systems engineering Designed or evolved in such a way as to be resistant to total failure despite partial damage.
  6. adj. software engineering Resistant or impervious to failure regardless of user input or unexpected conditions.
  7. adj. statistics Not greatly influenced by errors in assumptions about the distribution of sample errors.

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. adj. Evincing strength; indicating vigorous health; strong; sinewy; muscular; vigorous; sound.
  2. adj. Violent; rough; rude.
  3. adj. Requiring strength or vigor.

WordNet 3.0

  1. adj. marked by richness and fullness of flavor
  2. adj. rough and crude
  3. adj. strong enough to withstand or overcome intellectual challenges or adversity
  4. adj. sturdy and strong in form, constitution, or construction

Etymologies

  1. From Latin rōbustus, from rōbur, rōbus ("strength", "hard timber", "oak"). (Wiktionary)
  2. Latin rōbustus, from rōbur, rōbus, oak, strength; see reudh- in Indo-European roots. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)

Examples

  • “WORDS ACCENTED ON THE LAST SYLLABLE: address _address'_ adept _adept'_ adult _adult'_ ally _ally'_ commandant _commandänt '(ä as in arm) _ contour _contour'_ dessert _dessert'_ dilate _dilate'_ excise _eksiz'_ finance _finance'_ grimace _grimace'_ importune _importune'_ occult _occult'_ pretence _pretence'_ research _research'_ robust _robust'_ romance _romance'_ tirade _tirade'_”

    Practical Grammar and Composition

  • “Chris Christie and the mayors of Trenton and Newark last month in what she called a "robust discussion to be creative in an era of shrinking resources.”

    USA Today: Camden, N.J., to rehire 50 police, 15 firefighters

  • “She said she remains satisfied with what she termed their "robust" commitment to democracy and broad engagement with Libyans from across the political spectrum.”

    Voice of America: Clinton: No Decision to Arm Libyan Rebels

  • “When I hear the phrase "going forward" or the word "robust" from a management type, I start to fear I may be in the presence of a David Brent.”

    The Guardian: Dave Ellis an Englishman excelling for France at the Rugby World Cup | Richard Williams

  • “But certainly, we're prepared to use what we call robust actions.”

    CNN Transcript Dec 6, 2008

  • “SCHIAVONE: Lou, President Bush acknowledged Law Day with a proclamation, affirming the nation's commitment to what he called a robust system of ordered liberty -- Lou.”

    CNN Transcript May 1, 2008

  • “HENRY: Now, the secretary said that there would need to be what she called a robust international peacekeeping force at some point on the ground in Lebanon, but she also said she does not anticipate that there while be U.S. boots on the ground needed in that peacekeeping effort.”

    CNN Transcript Jul 21, 2006

  • “They expect to have what they call a robust force that's prepared for anything -- Anderson.”

    CNN Transcript Mar 29, 2003

  • “Despite what he calls a "robust" international military presence near the strait, Iran could cause problems with asymmetrical attacks.”

    News

  • “That's what we call a robust result, and standard practice is to aim for robust results.”

    Open Reading Frame

Show 10 more examples...

Lists

These user-created lists contain the word ‘robust’.

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • reesetee So...he has to be "nice." ;-) Sep 1, 2009

  • bilby I had an email today asking me if I would like to be a Santa for an electronic goods and homewares retailer:
    "Type: Unfortunately, as we are dealing with Harvey Norman, Santa needs to be the typical white variety. Ideally a robust built person no younger than 45yrs up to 65 yrs who can carry of the 'jolly old st nick' stereotype."
    - private communication, 1 September 2009. Sep 1, 2009

  • bilby Ha! Jun 19, 2009

  • rolig Right, as in, "I'd like you to draw up an effervescent contract with that ebullient author, Mr. Reesetee!" Jun 18, 2009

  • reesetee I've been trying to come up with a new one to change things up a bit. Maybe I'll use a Goodduder. :-) Jun 18, 2009

  • chained_bear Ha ha! Then see how many times your supervisor uses it! While you're at it, slip in a really good one, like from Dr. Gooddude's list! Jun 18, 2009

  • reesetee I made the apparent mistake of using this word in a book proposal ("a robust guide to...) a few months ago. Since then, my supervisor has used it approximately 53,435 times to describe everything from a book contract to the weather for the upcoming weekend.

    Next time, I'll just say "nice." :-\ Jun 18, 2009

Tweets

Looking for tweets for robust.

‘robust’ has been looked up 4962 times, loved by 7 people, added to 85 lists, commented on 7 times, and has a Scrabble score of 8.