Synonyms of robust

robust 1 of 2

adjective

rō-ˈbəst 

1

as in healthy

enjoying health and vigor

a robust and sturdy toddler

Synonyms & Similar Words

• healthy
• sturdy
• well
• strong
• whole
• wholesome
• fit
• hale
• sound
• hearty
• thriving
• tough
• in shape
• agile
• bouncing
• able-bodied
• well-conditioned
• rugged
• hardy
• vigorous
• lively
• active
• in the pink
• good
• in fine fettle
• stalwart
• hard
• lusty
• iron
• vital
• ambulatory
• sprightly
• prospering
• flourishing
• clean-cut
• nondisabled
• chipper
• uncrippled
• spry
• flush
• right
• blooming
• all right
• sprightful

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• weak
• feeble
• sick
• unhealthy
• unfit
• unsound
• ill
• diseased
• weakly
• weakened
• sickly
• fragile
• unwell
• ailing
• disabled
• infirm
• enfeebled
• decrepit
• delicate
• frail
• debilitated
• incapacitated
• sickened
• troubled
• gaunt
• poorly
• bad
• differently abled
• undernourished
• worn-out
• run-down
• haggard
• malnourished
• emaciated
• afflicted

2

as in energetic

having active strength of body or mind

a robust older man who still bicycles 10 miles a day

Synonyms & Similar Words

• energetic
• dynamic
• vigorous
• powerful
• lively
• strong
• healthy
• vital
• capable
• tough
• lusty
• sturdy
• mighty
• spirited
• fit
• peppy
• athletic
• hale
• flush
• red-blooded
• muscular
• rugged
• brisk
• animated
• vivacious
• kinetic
• sprightly
• gingery
• hardy
• stout
• beefy
• energized
• sound
• virile
• fortified
• punchy
• competent
• burly
• vitalized
• rejuvenated
• firm
• invigorated
• refreshed
• dashing
• enlivened
• stalwart
• brawny
• husky
• hearty
• puissant
• robustious
• revitalized
• mettlesome
• strapping
• able-bodied

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• weak
• sluggish
• feeble
• dull
• delicate
• faint
• lethargic
• listless
• frail
• torpid
• weakened
• infirm
• soft
• impotent
• powerless
• wan
• tired
• effete
• lazy
• languid
• indolent
• lackadaisical
• prostrate
• wimpy
• enervated
• unhealthy
• ill
• invertebrate
• unsound
• spineless
• nerveless
• disabled
• sapped
• wasted
• unwell
• decrepit
• debilitated
• prostrated
• broken-down
• worn-out

3

as in rich

having an abundance of some characteristic quality (as flavor)

beef and other red meats should be accompanied by robust wines

Synonyms & Similar Words

• rich
• strong
• potent
• concentrated
• big
• muscular
• full
• plush
• heady
• full-bodied
• lusty
• heavy
• undiluted
• fortified
• unmixed
• enriched
• straight
• high-octane
• high-test

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• weak
• thin
• mild
• light
• delicate
• weakened
• thinned
• dilute
• diluted
• watery
• watered-down

4

as in strong

not showing weakness or uncertainty

a robust slap on the back welcoming me to the company

Synonyms & Similar Words

• strong
• sturdy
• solid
• vigorous
• firm
• powerful
• stout
• forceful
• tough
• iron
• hearty
• lusty
• mighty
• hard
• lively
• brisk
• ironclad
• energetic
• unyielding
• confident
• spirited
• vivacious
• sprightly
• vital
• perky
• secure
• animated
• frisky
• jazzy
• springy
• jaunty
• peppy
• certain
• assured
• sure
• sanguine
• zippy
• sprightful

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• weak
• uncertain
• feeble
• fragile
• frail
• limp
• listless
• spiritless
• insecure
• diffident
• wimpy
• weakened
• spineless
• characterless
• effete
• self-doubting
• wishy-washy
• weak-kneed

robustness

2 of 2

noun

1

as in health

the condition of being sound in body

she has the robustness of a woman half her age

Synonyms & Similar Words

• health
• strength
• fitness
• soundness
• agility
• healthiness
• wholesomeness
• heartiness
• vigor
• wellness
• stamina
• wholeness
• verdure
• ruggedness
• vigorousness
• cleanliness
• toughness
• hygiene
• hardiness
• sap
• vitality
• shape
• activeness
• welfare
• liveliness
• fettle
• well-being
• lustiness
• robustiousness
• spryness
• flushness
• weal
• flush
• bloom

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• illness
• unsoundness
• sickness
• weakness
• feebleness
• unhealthiness
• condition
• debility
• infirmity
• lameness
• disease
• disorder
• trouble
• decrepitude
• malady
• sickliness
• frailness
• ailment

2

as in vigorousness

the quality or state of having abundant or intense activity

the relentless robustness of the city has always inspired writers and artists

Synonyms & Similar Words

• vigorousness
• brightness
• vitality
• exuberance
• vibrancy
• liveliness
• cheerfulness
• sprightliness
• briskness
• animation
• lustiness
• vibrance
• enthusiasm
• spirit
• peppiness
• buoyancy
• jazziness
• vivacity
• jauntiness
• springiness
• playfulness
• eagerness
• cheer
• pizzazz
• verve
• effervescence
• sparkle
• spiritedness
• ebullience
• vivaciousness
• friskiness
• pertness
• chirpiness
• keenness
• ebulliency
• impishness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• inactivity
• laziness
• anemia
• indolence
• lifelessness
• lethargy
• weariness
• sluggishness
• sleepiness
• limpness
• languor
• apathy
• impassivity
• torpidity
• dullness
• listlessness
• bloodlessness
• torpor
• tedium
• tediousness
• languidness
• spiritlessness
• vapidity
• vapidness
• pallidness

Synonym Chooser

How is the word robust distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of robust are hale, healthy, sound, well, and wholesome. While all these words mean "enjoying or indicative of good health," robust implies the opposite of all that is delicate or sickly.

a lively, robust little boy

When would hale be a good substitute for robust?

Although the words hale and robust have much in common, hale applies particularly to robustness in old age.

still hale at the age of eighty

When can healthy be used instead of robust?

The meanings of healthy and robust largely overlap; however, healthy implies full strength and vigor as well as freedom from signs of disease.

a healthy family

When is sound a more appropriate choice than robust?

The words sound and robust are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, sound emphasizes the absence of disease, weakness, or malfunction.

a sound heart

When is it sensible to use well instead of robust?

In some situations, the words well and robust are roughly equivalent. However, well implies merely freedom from disease or illness.

she has never been a well person

When might wholesome be a better fit than robust?

The words wholesome and robust can be used in similar contexts, but wholesome implies appearance and behavior indicating soundness and balance.

a face with a wholesome glow

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of robust

Adjective

The Mets lost Ronny Mauricio to a fractured thumb in Anaheim, decimating the once-robust infield depth. —Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 11 May 2026

And though stock market returns with an $80,000 investment can be robust, the potential losses there could be significant, too. —Matt Richardson, CBS News, 11 May 2026

Noun

Changes to school lunches These school nutrition directors were surveyed in October 2025, and since then, additional factors may threaten the robustness of school lunch programs. —Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 29 Apr. 2026

Textile Exchange has published the first installment in a series of seven Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies aimed at improving the robustness and quality of environmental impact data for raw material production across the apparel, fashion and textile industries. —Jennifer Bringle, Sourcing Journal, 30 Mar. 2026