Definition of stoutnext
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Synonym Chooser

How is the word stout different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of stout are stalwart, strong, sturdy, tenacious, and tough. While all these words mean "showing power to resist or to endure," stout suggests an ability to endure stress, pain, or hard use without giving way.

stout hiking boots

When can stalwart be used instead of stout?

While the synonyms stalwart and stout are close in meaning, stalwart suggests an unshakable dependability.

stalwart environmentalists

Where would strong be a reasonable alternative to stout?

In some situations, the words strong and stout are roughly equivalent. However, strong may imply power derived from muscular vigor, large size, structural soundness, intellectual or spiritual resources.

strong arms
the defense has a strong case

When would sturdy be a good substitute for stout?

The words sturdy and stout can be used in similar contexts, but sturdy implies strength derived from vigorous growth, determination of spirit, solidity of construction.

a sturdy table
people of sturdy independence

When might tenacious be a better fit than stout?

The words tenacious and stout are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, tenacious suggests strength in seizing, retaining, clinging to, or holding together.

tenacious farmers clinging to an age-old way of life

When is tough a more appropriate choice than stout?

The meanings of tough and stout largely overlap; however, tough implies great firmness and resiliency.

a tough political opponent

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of stout Keuilian, a stout, bearded fifty-one-year-old, founded Fit Body Boot Camp, a global personal-training franchise, in 2010, and now lives in Chino Hills, California. Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026 View gallery - 8 images In an age of sleek EV concepts that talk to the wind, the Chery V23 comes out as a stout reminder of bygone times. New Atlas, 27 Mar. 2026 The preferred substrate of the lion’s mane mushroom is large old beech or oak trees—although it has also been found growing on other hardwood trees, such as maple and ash, and on younger trees as well as on stout logs and stumps of dead wood. Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Mar. 2026 Faulk should be more stout against the run than Robinson, but the drop in pass production is worrisome — the plunge in sacks from seven in 2024 to two last season and tackles for loss for 11 to five. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 24 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stout
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stout
Adjective
  • Featuring the show’s slogan over a sunny pop of color, this sturdy ceramic mug holds a generous 15 ounces of coffee, tea, or hot cocoa, and is your Immunity Idol against a dull routine.
    Brittany Anas, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Apr. 2026
  • Be sure to cover your head and neck with your arms, and crawl under a sturdy table if possible.
    CA Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • The stocky, square shape is inspired by the traditional Japanese kurinuki technique, where artisans would hollow out a block of clay.
    Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 6 Apr. 2026
  • Knuble is a stocky and strong 5-11 forward whose game is defined by its pro habits, work ethic, drive and instincts on and off the puck.
    Scott Wheeler, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Devastated by grief and horror beneath her armor, yet so valiant in public.
    TIME, Time, 7 Apr. 2026
  • Until the lava of the bird’s stomach melts her valiant resins, dissolves her nomadic strength, and transforms her into a viscous secretion.
    María Ospina, The Dial, 31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Oregon’s muscular Kenyon Sadiq is the top tight end prospect by a wide margin.
    Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 9 Apr. 2026
  • The city chose a more muscular solution, raising the park and lifting the river’s edge to form a wall intended to hold back sixteen feet of surge.
    Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • The company creates solid state drives that are about the size of a deck of cards.
    James Taylor, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
  • Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s solid performance stalled in the seventh inning.
    Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • The Eastern Colorado prairie was once carpeted with a mix of hardy grasses, flowering plants, and small shrubs that supported great herds of bison and pronghorn, abundant prairie dog colonies, predators like coyotes, foxes, and badgers, as well as numerous bird species, reptiles, and insects.
    Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 7 Apr. 2026
  • In colder hardiness zones, choose a hardy variety such as ‘Arp’ or ‘Hill Hardy’.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Hyaluronic acid and collagen help visibly hydrate and plump skin, smoothing the appearance of lines, crow’s feet and crepey texture for a flawless makeup look.
    Tory Johnson, ABC News, 7 Apr. 2026
  • From having the viscous juices of decomposed leaves that kept her plump leak through a tear in her side, as happened to a few of her siblings.
    María Ospina, The Dial, 31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Roberts-Smith became a household name across Australia when he was awarded the Victoria Cross in 2011, a medal reserved for only the most courageous wartime exploits.
    CBS News, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
  • First, four courageous astronauts successfully lifted off from Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center aboard Artemis II, which will attempt the first lunar flyby in more than 50 years.
    S.E. Cupp, New York Daily News, 2 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Stout.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stout. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.

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