stodgier; stodgiest
1
: having a rich filling quality : heavy
stodgy bread
2
: moving in a slow plodding way especially as a result of physical bulkiness
3
: boring, dull
out on a peaceful rather stodgy Sunday boat tripEdna Ferber
4
: extremely old-fashioned : hidebound
received a pompously Victorian letter from his stodgy fatherE. E. S. Montagu
5
a
: drab
b
: dowdy
stodgily adverb
stodginess noun

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
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.
This would not have been a serious consideration midway through Newcastle’s 2-0 win against struggling, flailing Nottingham Forest — the nothingness of half-time was like a blessed relief — but a stodgy, slow-burning afternoon concluded with Howe’s team comfortable and edging towards dominance. George Caulkin, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025 Wyatt’s film somehow becomes a stodgy, sprawling, feminist, pre-Islamic Ghandi. Damon Wise, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2025 But her biggest achievement is the cultural change she’s helped affect: through her witty, tongue-in-cheek designs, she’s helped turn upcycling from a stodgy homeschoolers’ craft into an edgy and provocative response to consumerism at large. Corey Buhay, Outside, 15 Sep. 2025 Peter Pan is the avatar of eternal childhood, refusal to become a stodgy old pirate. Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for stodgy

Word History

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stodgy was in 1854

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Cite this Entry

“Stodgy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stodgy. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

stodgy

adjective
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 adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on stodgy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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