1
3
: requiring strength or vigor
robust work
4
: full-bodied
robust coffee
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
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.
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
The airline had a robust network servicing Western Europe, in addition to its transatlantic routes, and shared a bullish outlook earlier in the year.
—Barbara Peterson, AFAR Media, 6 Oct. 2025
Constructed from lightweight, high-strength materials, the DG-5F is built for robust industrial and research applications performance.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 6 Oct. 2025
Concerns have also been raised about the safety and responsibility of keeping parks open without having a robust number of employees available to conduct critical services.
—The Npr Network, NPR, 6 Oct. 2025
The girls are wearing heeled white dance shoes that are defiantly impractical for the city streets, in striking contrast to the robust sneakers that everyone else has on.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for robust
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Barbara Peterson, AFAR Media, 6 Oct. 2025
Constructed from lightweight, high-strength materials, the DG-5F is built for robust industrial and research applications performance.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 6 Oct. 2025
Concerns have also been raised about the safety and responsibility of keeping parks open without having a robust number of employees available to conduct critical services.
—The Npr Network, NPR, 6 Oct. 2025
The girls are wearing heeled white dance shoes that are defiantly impractical for the city streets, in striking contrast to the robust sneakers that everyone else has on.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for robust
Cite this Entry
“Robust.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/robust. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
robust
adjective
ro·bust
rō-ˈbəst 
ˈrō-(ˌ)bəst
: being strong and vigorously healthy
robustly
adverb
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share