solid

1 of 3

adjective

sol·​id ˈsä-ləd How to pronounce solid (audio)
1
a
: being without an internal cavity
a solid ball of rubber
b(1)
: printed with minimum space between lines
(2)
: joined without a hyphen
a solid compound
c
: not interrupted by a break or opening
a solid wall
2
: having, involving, or dealing with three dimensions or with solids
a solid configuration
3
a
: of uniformly close and coherent texture : not loose or spongy : compact
b
: possessing or characterized by the properties of a solid : neither gaseous nor liquid
solid waste
4
: of good substantial quality or kind
solid comfort
: such as
a
: sound
solid reasons
b
: made firmly and well
solid furniture
c
: reliable
a solid performer
5
a
: having no break or interruption
waited three solid hours
b
: unanimous
had the solid support of the party
c
: intimately friendly or associated
solid with the boss
6
a
: prudent
also : well established financially
b
: serious in purpose or character
7
: of one substance or character: such as
a
: entirely of one metal or containing the minimum of alloy necessary to impart hardness
solid gold
b
: of a single color
solidly adverb
solidness noun

solid

2 of 3

noun

1
: a geometrical figure or element (such as a cube or sphere) having three dimensions see Volume Formulas Table
2
a
: a substance that does not flow perceptibly under moderate stress, has a definite capacity for resisting forces (such as compression or tension) which tend to deform it, and under ordinary conditions retains a definite size and shape
b
: the part of a solution or suspension that when freed from solvent or suspending medium has the qualities of a solid
usually used in plural
milk solids of protein and lactose
3
: something that is solid: such as
a
: a solid color
b
: a compound word whose members are joined together without a hyphen
4
US slang : favor sense 3a
Ted Evans might be one of those people. … "Can you do me a solid and watch my stuff?" he'll ask, returning the favor if anyone else needs to do the same.Laylan Connelly
So her husband did her a solid and dropped her off for the afternoon, where she was free to sketch some of the exhibits …Steven Lemongello

solid

3 of 3

adverb

: in a solid manner
also : unanimously

Examples of solid in a Sentence

Adjective Concrete is a solid material. When ice melts, it passes from a solid to a liquid form. I was on a liquid diet when I was sick because I couldn't digest solid food. I was glad to get off the plane and back on solid ground. The pond was frozen solid. The ring is solid gold. a chunk of solid marble I prefer solid colors like blue or green instead of plaids and stripes. Noun She couldn't eat solids after the surgery.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
In fact, the Census Bureau reported that homeownership fell slightly at the end of last year in an otherwise solid economy. Josh Boak, Fortune, 15 Mar. 2024 Many of these songs were complete or at least a solid concepts for songs. Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2024 There’s the Lakers’ point-of-attack defense problem, where, despite solid play from Reaves over the past month-plus, the Lakers have struggled with Jarred Vanderbilt sidelined. Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024 Despite their subpoenas and depositions, House Republicans have been unable to produce any solid evidence of wrongdoing by Mr. Biden and lack the votes in their own party to charge him with high crimes and misdemeanors, the constitutional standard for impeachment. Luke Broadwater, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024 The region lacks solid development foundations such as high rates of students finishing high school, consistent access to clean water and adequate health care. Aniruddha Ghosal, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2024 Have confidence in yourself and your ability to build a solid foundation. Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2024 There’s no solid evidence, however, connecting benzene from acne products to cancer. Jessica Chia, SELF, 12 Mar. 2024 The film enjoyed a solid run on Netflix and is now back on offer. Patrick Frater, Variety, 11 Mar. 2024
Noun
Coffman said the sediment flowing down the Klamath out of the reservoirs was composed of dead algae, fine silts and solids, and gravels. The Arizona Republic, 16 Feb. 2024 These pointed rock formations, like the famed Stone Forest in China's Yunnan Province, are the result of solids dissolving into liquids in the presence of gravity, which produces natural convective flows. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 2 Feb. 2024 Set the pan aside to stand, undisturbed, for about 5 minutes so the solids settle to the bottom. Kathy Mooreand, Kansas City Star, 30 Jan. 2024 Despite the notion that bar chocolate is always better for baking, Genevieve employs chocolate chips, which contain less cocoa butter but more cacao solids than their bar counterparts, and thus more chocolaty flavor when baked into cake. Tanya Sichynsky, New York Times, 1 Jan. 2024 In addition to the black-and-white plaid, this Amazon option comes in other fun textures (sequins, bouclé, velvet), neutrals, and bright solids. Glamour, 14 Nov. 2023 The kinds of solids that are present in the whiskeys contribute to the webby pattern left behind. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 2 Oct. 2023 Fertilizers can be granular, slow-release or liquid Granular and slow-release fertilizers are solids that must be scratched into the soil and release nutrients over time. Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Feb. 2024 To İmamoğlu, the substance nonetheless reveals exciting new avenues for probing electrons’ behavior in solids—and in applications that Nagaoka could have only dreamed of. Michael Greshko, WIRED, 28 Jan. 2024
Adverb
With 15-Inch Screen for $900 ($300 off) There's the solid-performing 2 GHz Intel Core i7 processor and 8 GB of RAM, but the star of the spec sheets is the 512 GB solid-state drive for storage. Matt Jancer, Wired, 8 Oct. 2021 Analysts said some of the ICBMs appeared to be solid-propellant missiles that can be launched more quickly and are harder to detect. Min Joo Kim, Washington Post, 18 Feb. 2023 One thing has stayed rock-solid over the past several decades and that is a general fear of change, both spoken and unspoken. Paige Francis, Forbes, 15 Aug. 2022 That raised the possibility that other promises that run counter to local laws and customs — including issues like press freedom, street protests and the rights of LGBTQ+ visitors — were not as rock-solid as Qatar and FIFA have said. Tariq Panja, New York Times, 18 Nov. 2022 Aberdeen sophomore goalie Nevaeh Kelly was solid early on as Bel Air pressure and shots came quickly after the starting whistle. Randy McRoberts, Baltimore Sun, 2 Nov. 2022 Hotels and ticketed events in the neighborhood had been booked solid ahead, and large crowds were expected. Sophie Jeong, CNN, 30 Oct. 2022 Yamini Rangan of Hubspot, cited last month as the best CEO for women according to female reviews, is a good example of someone who’s done solid yet relatively short stints at a variety of companies. Sairah Ashman, Forbes, 11 Aug. 2022 But demand for labor remains rock solid, providing skilled workers a good bit of leverage. Fortune, 17 Aug. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'solid.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English solide, from Middle French, from Latin solidus; akin to Greek holos whole — more at safe

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

1651, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of solid was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near solid

Cite this Entry

“Solid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/solid. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

solid

1 of 2 adjective
sol·​id ˈsäl-əd How to pronounce solid (audio)
1
a
: not hollow
b
: written as one word
a solid compound
2
: having, involving, or dealing with solids : cubic sense 2
a solid geometric shape
3
a
: not loose or spongy : compact
a solid mass of rock
b
: neither gaseous nor liquid
solid ice
solid waste
4
: of good sturdy quality or kind
solid comfort
solid reasons
5
a
: not interrupted
for three solid hours
b
: being in complete agreement : unanimous, united
solid for pay increases
6
a
: thoroughly dependable : reliable
a solid citizen
b
: earnest or important in purpose
solid reading
7
: of one material, kind, or color
solid gold
solid adverb
solidly adverb
solidness noun

solid

2 of 2 noun
1
: a geometric figure or element (as a cube or a sphere) having three dimensions
2
: a solid substance : a substance that keeps its size and shape

Medical Definition

solid

1 of 2 adjective
sol·​id ˈsäl-əd How to pronounce solid (audio)
1
: being without an internal cavity : not hollow
solid tumors
2
: possessing or characterized by the properties of a solid : neither gaseous nor liquid
3
of immunity : capable of resisting severe challenge
solidly adverb

solid

2 of 2 noun
1
: a substance that does not flow perceptibly under moderate stress, has a definite capacity for resisting forces (as compression or tension) which tend to deform it, and under ordinary conditions retains a definite size and shape
2
: the part of a solution or suspension that when freed from solvent or suspending medium has the qualities of a solid
usually used in plural
milk solids

More from Merriam-Webster on solid

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