sturdy

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈstɝdi/ UK /ˈstɜːdi/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
strongly and solidly built; robust

The sturdy table held the weight of all the boxes.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · strongly and solidly built;... robust solid strong substantial rugged stout durable

Opposites

flimsy frail feeble rickety fragile

Word family

Forms sturdily

Derived forms sturdilysturdiness

Simplified etymology

Sturdy entered Middle English from Old French esturdi, “stunned” or “dazed.” Its early English meanings included “reckless,” “violent,” “rebellious,” “obstinate,” “bold,” and “strongly built.” The French word may ultimately be connected with Latin turdus, “thrush,” through an old association between thrushes and drunken unsteadiness, but this derivation is uncertain.

Etymology

From Middle English sturdi ('reckless, violent, hard to manage'), from Old French estourdi ('stunned, reckless'), past participle of estourdir ('to stun'), probably from Vulgar Latin *exturdīre.

estourdi Old French

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# sturdy

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈstɝdi/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈstɜːdi/

## Meanings
1. strongly and solidly built; robust

## Examples
- The sturdy table held the weight of all the boxes.

## Synonyms
- robust
- solid
- strong
- substantial
- rugged
- stout
- durable

## Antonyms
- flimsy
- frail
- feeble
- rickety
- fragile

## Derived Forms
- sturdily
- sturdiness

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: estourdi

## Etymology
From Middle English sturdi ('reckless, violent, hard to manage'), from Old French estourdi ('stunned, reckless'), past participle of estourdir ('to stun'), probably from Vulgar Latin *exturdīre.

## AI Etymology
Sturdy is from Middle English sturdi ('reckless, violent, hard to manage'), from Old French estourdi ('stunned, reckless'), past participle of estourdir ('to stun'), probably from Vulgar Latin *exturdīre. Important recorded forms include estourdi (Old French). Morphologically, the word is a built form whose named elements carry part of the historical sense. Its deeper history remains uncertain, with proposed links left as possibilities rather than a single settled derivation. The current sense covers strongly and solidly built; robust. The wider family includes derived forms such as sturdily and sturdiness.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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