stubby

adjective

stub·​by ˈstə-bē 

stubbier; stubbiest

1

: abounding with stubs

2

a

: resembling a stub : being short and thick

stubby fingers

b

: being short and thickset : squat

c

: being short, broad, or blunt (as from use or wear)

an old stubby pencil

Synonyms

• stout
• stumpy
• stocky
• sturdy
• plump
• squatty

Examples of stubby in a Sentence

hands with thick stubby fingers

My dog has a short stubby tail.

Recent Examples on the Web

The New Shepard capsule's stubby single-stage booster roared to life just after 9:38 a.m. EDT, throttled up to full thrust and smoothly climbed away from Blue Origin's launch site near Van Horn, Texas. —William Harwood, CBS News, 29 June 2025

Videos posted to TikTok, Instagram and X in recent weeks show men braving blades very close to their eyes, in barber shops from Turkey to New Zealand, in a quest for stubby lashes. —Nicole Mowbray, CNN Money, 30 Apr. 2025

The characters generally have stubby limbs, oversized heads, and eyes that are either very small or very large, but always with giant, solid black irises in the middle. —Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 18 June 2025

Fred’s guide took off on foot and circled behind the backbone, and Fred got into a solid shooting position with his rifle rested along a stubby pine. —Jim Carmichel, Outdoor Life, 5 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for stubby

• chubby
• cubby
• grubby
• hubby
• scrubby
• shrubby
• tubby

Kids Definition

stubby

adjective

stub·​by ˈstəb-ē 

: resembling a stub especially in shortness and broadness

stubby fingers