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
Bottom line: History shows the week leading up to an election is historically solid. Fred Imbert, CNBC, 25 Oct. 2024 At Prada, a solid intellectual narrative has always been integral to the collections and the design process. Laia Farran Graves, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024
Noun
Most commercial rodent repellents contain capsaicin (hot pepper compound), mint or rosemary oils, or putrid egg solids. Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2024 Let sit for 24 hours at room temp, then remove solids. Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 7 Sep. 2024
Adverb
In an ideology-dominant society, everything fluid turns to stone; in a market-dominant society, everything solid melts into air. George Scialabba, Foreign Affairs, 1 Mar. 2015 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 See all Example Sentences for solid 

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 31 Oct. 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!