sturdy

¹

[ stur-dee ]

adjective

, stur·di·er, stur·di·est.

1. strongly built; stalwart; robust:

   sturdy young athletes.

   Synonyms: powerful, strong, stout, sinewy, brawny, muscular, hardy

   Antonyms: weak

2. strong, as in substance, construction, or texture:

   sturdy walls.

3. firm; courageous; indomitable:

   the sturdy defenders of the Alamo.

   Synonyms: unconquerable, determined, vigorous, resolute

4. of strong or hardy growth, as a plant.

sturdy

²

[ stur-dee ]

noun

, Veterinary Pathology.

1. gid.

sturdy

¹

/ ˈstɜːdɪ /

noun

1. vet science another name for staggers gid

sturdy

²

/ ˈstɜːdɪ /

adjective

1. healthy, strong, and vigorous
2. strongly built; stalwart

Derived Forms

• ˈsturdied, adjective
• ˈsturdily, adverb
• ˈsturdiness, noun

Other Words From

• sturdi·ly adverb
• sturdi·ness noun
• un·sturdi·ly adverb
• un·sturdi·ness noun

Word History and Origins

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”

Word History and Origins

Origin of sturdy¹

C17: from sturdy ¹(in the obsolete sense: giddy)

Origin of sturdy²

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)

Example Sentences

On the morning the Mountain fire erupted, wind gusts were so strong in Somis that several of the sturdy wooden boxes that housed Eduardo Flores’s bee colonies had already blown over.

From Los Angeles Times

“It’s a beautiful plant,” he says, “sturdy and hard to kill.”

From Los Angeles Times

I’ve enjoyed stripping the songs back down to the bare bones and enjoyed that they’re still sturdy enough to withstand that kind of stripping away.

From Los Angeles Times

Missed tackles around the fringes – where a defence should be most sturdy – cost them for tries by Harry Wilson and Jeremy Williams.

From BBC

“It's ridiculous. I mean, our democracy is pretty sturdy. Our checks and balances worked. The thing was over in a matter of hours. And yet, here we are, it's still a factor.”

From Salon

Related Words

• bulky
• hearty
• hulking
• muscular
• powerful
• robust
• rugged
• stiff
• stout
• strapping
• strong