stodgy

adjective

ˈstä-jē 

stodgier; stodgiest

1

: extremely old-fashioned (as in opinions, attitudes, etc.) : hidebound

… received a pompously Victorian letter from his stodgy father …

—E. E. S. Montagu

2

a

: drab

b

: dowdy

3

: boring, dull

… out on a peaceful rather stodgy Sunday boat trip …

—Edna Ferber

4

: having a rich filling quality : heavy

stodgy bread

5

: moving in a slow plodding way especially as a result of physical bulkiness

stodgily

ˈstä-jə-lē 

adverb

stodginess

ˈstä-jē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of stodgy

• boring
• slow
• old
• tiring
• stupid
• dull
• weary
• dusty
• wearying
• heavy

Examples of stodgy in a Sentence

the sitcom was offbeat and interesting in its first season, but has since become predictable and stodgy

Recent Examples on the Web

Luxury ships often lean stodgy, yet Silver Nova offers that upbeat, higher-energy feel that upper-premium and premium lines provide. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Apr. 2026

This is the story of Cukor’s private war against a stodgy Pentagon bureaucracy. —Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2026

The housing tide is shifting, and for now, the edge has gone to the stodgy old-timers. —Shawn Tully, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2026

Proof that the world, even the old, stubborn, stodgy, white golf world, could change. —Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1884, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Rhymes for stodgy

• dodgy
• demagogy
• laryngology
• teleology

Kids Definition

stodgy

adjective

ˈstäj-ē 

stodgier; stodgiest

1

: moving in a slow struggling way especially as a result of physical bulkiness

2

: having no excitement or interest : dull, boring

a stodgy day

3

: very old-fashioned in attitude or point of view

stodgily

ˈstäj-ə-lē 

adverb