robust

[roh-buhst, roh-buhst]

adjective

1. strong and healthy; hardy; vigorous.

   a robust young man; a robust faith; a robust mind.

   Synonyms: sound, powerful
   Antonyms: feeble

2. strongly or stoutly built.

   his robust frame.

   Antonyms: weak

3. suited to or requiring bodily strength or endurance.

   robust exercise.

4. rough, rude, or boisterous.

   robust drinkers and dancers.

   Synonyms: rambunctious, coarse

5. rich and full-bodied.

   the robust flavor of freshly brewed coffee.

6. strong and effective in all or most situations and conditions.

   The system requires robust passwords that contain at least one number or symbol.

   Our goal is to devise robust statistical methods.

robust

/ ˈrəʊbʌst, rəʊˈbʌst /

adjective

1. strong in constitution; hardy; vigorous

2. sturdily built

   a robust shelter

3. requiring or suited to physical strength

   a robust sport

4. (esp of wines) having a rich full-bodied flavour

5. rough or boisterous

6. (of thought, intellect, etc) straightforward and imbued with common sense

Other Word Forms

• robustly adverb
• robustness noun
• unrobust adjective
• unrobustly adverb
• unrobustness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of robust¹

First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin rōbustus “oaken, hard, strong,” equivalent to rōbus- (stem of rōbur “oak, strength”) + -tus, adjective suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of robust¹

C16: from Latin rōbustus, from rōbur an oak, strength

Example Sentences

While in Europe sunscreen is classed as a cosmetic, Australia regulates it as a therapeutic good – essentially a medicine – which means it is subject to some of the most robust sunscreen regulations in the world.

From BBC

What followed was a robust, grassroots effort to review and reply to each section of the report.

From Los Angeles Times

"I want to look at where we can make the system more robust," Minister Long said.

From BBC

A spokeswoman said: "Girlguiding has robust safeguarding policies and procedures in place, which were followed: trained Girlguiding adult volunteers were with the young people at all times, and no girls were affected."

From BBC

The storm remains a reminder of the intersection between climate risk, resource allocation and the ongoing need for robust federal support to protect communities.

From Salon

Related Words

• booming www.thesaurus.com
• hearty 
• hefty 
• potent 
• powerful 
• prosperous 
• sturdy 
• tough 
• vigorous