Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Vigorous or energetic, especially in a rough or noisy way.
  • adjective Coarse or crude.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Robust; rough; violent; rude.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Obs. or Humorous Robust.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective boisterous

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective noisy and lacking in restraint or discipline

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[robust + –ious.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

robust +‎ -ious

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Examples

  • Dropping down on the sofa with his head laid low and his feet thrown up in a favourite attitude on the back, which must, I imagine, have been at least as easy as it was elegant, he began the conversation by bantering me upon what he called my "robustious" appearance compared with what he had been led to expect from gloomy reports of uncertain health.

    Recollections of Dante Gabriel Rossetti Hall Caine 1892

  • O, it offends me to the soul to hear a robustious periwig-pated fellow tear a passion to tatters, to very rags, to split the ears of the groundlings, who for the most part are capable of nothing but inexplicable dumb shows and noise.

    George Heymont: Laying a Clear Dramatic Foundation George Heymont 2011

  • In November a new President of the USA will be elected after a robustious campaign by perhaps 140 million Americans.

    Blair? How Many Divisions Has He Got? 2008

  • In November a new President of the USA will be elected after a robustious campaign by perhaps 140 million Americans.

    Archive 2008-01-27 2008

  • O, it offends me to the soul to hear a robustious periwig-pated fellow tear a passion to tatters, to very rags, to split the ears of the groundlings, who for the most part are capable of nothing but inexplicable dumb shows and noise.

    progress... tiggerallyn 2006

  • Beautiful silence; and so soon as this robustious rain takes off, I am to drink of it again by oceanfuls.

    Vailima Letters 2005

  • He was a delicate youth, I take it, and willingly slunk from the robustious winter to an inn fire-side.

    Edinburgh Picturesque Notes 2005

  • Just, just; and the men do sympathize with the mastiffs in robustious and rough coming on, leaving their wits with their wives: and then give them great meals of beef and iron and steel, they will eat like wolves and fight like devils.

    The Life of King Henry the Fifth 2004

  • Before the rains came thundering on the iron roof of our little hut, the washed-out and enfeebled town dweller who gave way to bitter reflections on the first evening of his new career, could hardly have been recognised, thanks to the robustious, wholesome effects of the free and vitalising life.

    The Confessions of a Beachcomber 2003

  • And therefore you may believe that which Nicholas de Lyra saith upon that place of the Psalter where it is written, Et Og Regem Basan, that the said Og, being yet little, was so strong and robustious, that they were fain to bind him with chains of iron in his cradle.

    Five books of the lives, heroic deeds and sayings of Gargantua and his son Pantagruel 2002

Comments

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  • As youths they were doubtless robustious

    But proved to be smart and industrious.

    The twig's not ill bent

    By youthful ferment;

    The pack are become quite illustrious.

    April 27, 2017