robust

adjective

ro·​bust rō-ˈbəst 

ˈrō-(ˌ)bəst

1

a

: having or exhibiting strength or vigorous health

b

: having or showing vigor, strength, or firmness

a robust debate

a robust faith

c

: strongly formed or constructed : sturdy

a robust plastic

d

: capable of performing without failure under a wide range of conditions

robust software

2

: rough, rude

stories … laden with robust, down-home imagery

—Playboy

3

: requiring strength or vigor

robust work

4

: full-bodied

robust coffee

also : hearty

a robust dinner

5

: relating to, resembling, or being a specialized group of australopithecines characterized especially by heavy molars and small incisors adapted to a vegetarian diet

Note: Robust australopithecines are included in the genus Australopithecus along with gracile forms or placed in the separate genus Paranthropus.

compare gracile sense 3

robustly adverb

robustness

rō-ˈbəs(t)-nəs 

ˈrō-(ˌ)bəs(t)-

noun

Synonyms

• able-bodied
• bouncing
• fit
• hale
• healthy
• hearty
• sound
• well
• well-conditioned
• whole
• wholesome

Choose the Right Synonym for robust

healthy, sound, wholesome, robust, hale, well mean enjoying or indicative of good health.

healthy implies full strength and vigor as well as freedom from signs of disease.

a healthy family

sound emphasizes the absence of disease, weakness, or malfunction.

a sound heart

wholesome implies appearance and behavior indicating soundness and balance.

a face with a wholesome glow

robust implies the opposite of all that is delicate or sickly.

a lively, robust little boy

hale applies particularly to robustness in old age.

still hale at the age of eighty

well implies merely freedom from disease or illness.

she has never been a well person

Examples of robust in a Sentence

If Singapore, just seven miles to the north with its glittering skyline and robust economy, is Southeast Asia's Cinderella, Batam is her dark sister. —Peter Gwin, National Geographic, October 2007

The greatest gains in mine mechanization came in a burst of innovation following World War II, when robust new machines were developed … —Robert L. Marovelli, Scientific American, September 1982

Humfry was a man whom everyone noticed. His stature was above ordinary, his complexion sanguine, his conversation lively, and his constitution robust. —Samuel Eliot Morison, The European Discovery of America, 1971

Why is almost every robust healthy boy with a robust healthy soul in him, at some time or other crazy to go to sea? —Herman Melville, Moby Dick, 1851

robust young men and women

He is in robust health.

The sauce has a robust flavor.

Recent Examples on the Web

Dropbox Business is a robust cloud storage and file-sharing app with enough range and flexibility to satisfy most small to midsize businesses (SMBs). —Robert Anderson, PCMAG, 12 Nov. 2024

Through eight games, Barkley has run for 925 yards (on a robust 5.9 yards per carry) with six touchdowns. —Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 9 Nov. 2024

Foster is a robust, open presence, not unfrustratable but very tender, readily channeling the kind of man for whom patience is a great part of love. —Sara Holdren, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024

West Virginia's robust conservative presence means a strong turnout for Republican candidates at the top of the ticket remains highly probable—the latest polls have Trump at 60 percent on average, compared to Democratic nominee Kamala Harris' 29 percent. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin robustus oaken, strong, from robor-, robur oak, strength

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

robust

adjective

ro·​bust rō-ˈbəst 

ˈrō-(ˌ)bəst

: being strong and vigorously healthy

robustly adverb

robustness

-ˈbəs(t)-nəs 

-(ˌ)bəs(t)-

noun