sturdy en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ˈstɜrdi/ (General-American)
- (US) audio
- /ˈstɜːdi/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
From Middle English sturdy, stourdy, stordy (“bold, valiant, strong, stern, fierce, rebellious”) (perhaps influenced by Middle English sture, stoure, stor (“strong, robust, harsh, stern, violent, fierce, sturdy”); see English stour), from Old French estourdi (“dazed”), form of estourdir, originally “to daze, to make tipsy (almost drunk)” (Modern French étourdir (“to daze, to make tipsy”)), from Vulgar Latin *exturdire. Latin etymology is unclear – presumably it is ex- + turdus (“thrush (bird)”), but how this should mean “daze” is unclear. A speculative theory is that thrushes eat leftover winery grapes and thus became drunk, but this meets with objections. Disease in cows and sheep is by extension of sense of “daze”, while sense of “strongly built” is of late 14th century, and relationship to earlier sense is less clear, perhaps from sense of a firm strike (causing a daze) or a strong, violent person.
Meanings
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Of firm build; stiff; stout; strong.
He was not of any delicate contexture; his limbs rather sturdy then dainty.
1657, Henry Wotton, Characters of some Kings of England:a sturdy oak tree
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Solid in structure or person.
The dog was sturdy and could work all day without getting tired.
Diana’s most recent romantic adventure at that time was with the sturdy hunk Will Carling, captain of the England rugby team, whom she had met in 1995 working out at the Chelsea Harbor Club gym.
April 5 2022, Tina Brown, “How Princess Diana’s Dance With the Media Impacted William and Harry”, in Vanity Fair:It was a sturdy building, able to withstand strong winds and cold weather.
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(obsolete) Foolishly obstinate or resolute; stubborn.
This must be done, and I would fain see / Mortal so sturdy as to gainsay.
1662 (indicated as 1663), [Samuel Butler], “[The First Part of Hudibras]”, in Hudibras. The First and Second Parts. […], London: […] John Martyn and Henry Herringman, […], published 1678, →OCLC; republished in A[lfred] R[ayney] Waller, editor, Hudibras: Written in the Time of the Late Wars, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: University Press, 1905, →OCLC, page 2:[A] ſturdy, hardned Sinner ſhall advance to the utmoſt pitch of Impiety with leſs difficulty, leſs reluctance of Mind, than perhaps he took the firſt ſteps in Wickedneſs, whilſt his Conſcience was yet Vigilant and Tender.
1705 November 7 (date delivered; Gregorian calendar), Francis Atterbury, “A Standing Revelation, the Best Means of Conviction. A Sermon Preach’d before Her Majesty, at St. James’s Chapel, on Sunday, October 28. 1705, being the Festival of St. Simon and St. Jude.”, in Fourteen Sermons Preach’d on Several Occasions. […], London: […] E. P. [Edmund Parker?] for Jonah Bowyer, […], published 1708, →OCLC, page 339:
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Resolute, in a good sense; or firm, unyielding quality.
a man of sturdy piety or patriotism
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| sturdier | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| sturdiest | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Deriveds
sturdy beggar · sturdiness · sturdily · unsturdy · get sturdy
Synonyms
roboreous · roborean · stalwart · hardy · staunch
Translations (122)
cs bytelný (of firm build) · sv motståndskraftig (solid in structure or person) · pl solidny (solid in structure or person) · fi vankka (of firm build) · ru здоро́вый (of firm build) · sh snážan (solid in structure or person) · es robusto (of firm build) · cs pevný (solid in structure or person) · sv rejäl (of firm build) · de stabil (solid in structure or person) · es recio (of firm build) · pt robusto (solid in structure or person) · cmn 強壯 /强壮 (solid in structure or person) · ru соли́дный (solid in structure or person) · mk си́лен (solid in structure or person) · es sólido (solid in structure or person) · cs solidní (solid in structure or person) · fa تنومند (solid in structure or person) · fr costaud (solid in structure or person) · gd tapaidh (solid in structure or person) · fi jykevä (of firm build) · mk цврст (of firm build) · es recio (solid in structure or person) · nl robuust (of firm build) · fi roima (of firm build) · cs masivní (of firm build) · it solida (of firm build) · mk кру́пен (solid in structure or person) · non harðgǫrr (of firm build) · pl mocny (solid in structure or person) · pl niezachwiany (solid in structure or person) · lv stiprs (of firm build) · az davamlı (of firm build) · sh čvȓst (solid in structure or person) · mk цврст (solid in structure or person) · it robusto (of firm build) · lt tvirtas (of firm build) · th ล่ำสัน (solid in structure or person) · pl silny (solid in structure or person) · fi vankka (solid in structure or person) · it solido (of firm build) · pl solidny (of firm build) · mk со́лиден (solid in structure or person) · nl stoer (solid in structure or person) · mi pakari (of firm build) · sh krúpan (of firm build) · nl stevig (of firm build) · fi vanttera (of firm build) · mk здрав (of firm build) · cs robustní (solid in structure or person) · hy ամրակազմ (solid in structure or person) · gd tapaidh (of firm build) · tr sağlam (solid in structure or person) · ru дю́жий (of firm build) · gd brogach (solid in structure or person) · sv robust (of firm build) · fi tukeva (solid in structure or person) · nl solide (of firm build) · cs statný (solid in structure or person) · az möhkəm (of firm build) · ja 頑丈な (of firm build) · sh snážan (of firm build) · cs robustní (of firm build) · th กำยำ (of firm build) · th กำยำ (solid in structure or person) · es sólido (of firm build) · it robusto (solid in structure or person) · cmn 結實 /结实 (of firm build) · pl mocny (of firm build) · cmn 結實 /结实 (solid in structure or person) · de verstockt (stubborn) · ru си́льный (of firm build) · bg здрав (of firm build) · gd brogach (of firm build) · pl silny (of firm build) · cmn 堅固 /坚固 (of firm build) · tr sağlam (of firm build) · mi tōtōpū (of firm build) · lv stingrs (of firm build) · mk си́лен (of firm build) · it quercia (of firm build) · de stur (stubborn) · sv solid (solid in structure or person) · oc robust (of firm build) · ga cruadhéanta (of firm build) · fi tukeva (of firm build) · ru мо́щный (solid in structure or person) · sh čvȓst (of firm build) · pt firme (of firm build) · es fuerte (of firm build) · cs pevný (stubborn) · ca robust (of firm build) · sh krúpan (solid in structure or person) · ja 丈夫な (of firm build) · mi pūngerungeru (solid in structure or person) · lt tvirtas (solid in structure or person) · bg силен (of firm build) · cs pevný (of firm build) · oc solid (of firm build) · fi jykevä (solid in structure or person) · hy ամրակազմ (of firm build) · fi tanakka (of firm build) · mi tōtōpū (solid in structure or person) · lv stingrs (solid in structure or person) · sv stabil (of firm build) · sv robust (solid in structure or person) · fr solide (of firm build) · ru кре́пкий (of firm build) · nl potig (solid in structure or person) · it robusta (solid in structure or person) · fr solide (solid in structure or person) · sv stabil (solid in structure or person) · hu robusztus (of firm build) · mk кру́пен (of firm build) · fr robuste (solid in structure or person) · vi kết thật (of firm build) · ko 튼튼하다 (of firm build) · fi roteva (of firm build) · pdt forsch (solid in structure or person) · de robust (of firm build) · non harðgǫrr (solid in structure or person) · cs statný (of firm build)