solid

1 of 3

adjective

sol·id ˈsä-ləd

Synonyms of solid next

: 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

: not interrupted by a break or opening

a solid wall

: having, involving, or dealing with three dimensions or with solids

a solid configuration

: of uniformly close and coherent texture : not loose or spongy : compact

: possessing or characterized by the properties of a solid : neither gaseous nor liquid

solid waste

: of good substantial quality or kind

solid comfort

: such as

: sound

solid reasons

: made firmly and well

solid furniture

: reliable

a solid performer

: having no break or interruption

waited three solid hours

: unanimous

had the solid support of the party

: intimately friendly or associated

solid with the boss

: prudent

also : well established financially

: serious in purpose or character

: of one substance or character: such as

: entirely of one metal or containing the minimum of alloy necessary to impart hardness

solid gold

: of a single color

solidly adverb

solidness noun

solid

2 of 3

noun

: a geometrical figure or element (such as a cube or sphere) having three dimensions see Volume Formulas Table

: 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

: 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

: something that is solid: such as

: a solid color

: a compound word whose members are joined together without a hyphen

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

Example Sentences

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. See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

As successful as his still young IndyCar career has been at 23 years old, Colton Herta continues to look for that first solid 500 performance. —

Nathan Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 26 May 2023 The solid foam typically has perforations, offering extra airflow for a cooler sleep. —

Emma Seymour, goodhousekeeping.com, 25 May 2023 Slinky Dog Dash While many family coasters lack solid theming and imaginative tracks, Slinky Dog Dash delivers with a truly delightful ride experience that guests of all ages will enjoy. —

Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 25 May 2023 The nightcap of day 1 of the Mullins Tournament – named in honor of Doug Mullins, a former coach at both schools – should be a solid matchup. —

Matt Doherty, BostonGlobe.com, 25 May 2023 But, and that’s not to say that banks haven’t failed, but the system as a whole has remained fairly solid. —

Quartz Staff, Quartz, 23 May 2023 On the face of it, the past week of New York sales at Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Phillips seemed solid, with the amount of art sold totaling nearly $2 billion at high sell-through rates. —

Zachary Small, New York Times, 22 May 2023 As a rookie in 2022, Ogbonnia was making solid strides before he got hurt in Week 10. —

Jeff Miller, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2023 The comedy debuted to solid figures with its Feb. premiere, opening to .4 rating in the key adults 18-49 demo. —

Breanna Bell, Variety, 16 May 2023

Noun

How electrons move through a lattice, hopping from atom to atom, determines many of a solid's properties, such as its color, transparency, and ability to conduct heat and electricity. —

Charles D. Brown Ii, Scientific American, 16 May 2023 Then, using equipment provided by a company called CarbonCure, the liquid carbon dioxide is compressed and turned into a solid. —

Cathy Bussewitz, Fortune, 15 May 2023 Any remaining solids are transferred to compost bins to eventually form building materials like walls, deck planks, and particle boards. —

Joe Pappalardo, Popular Mechanics, 8 May 2023 The first digit refers to the level of protection against solids like dust, dirt, or tools. —

Jessica Comstock, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 May 2023 The mineral blend works like an enzyme or bioactive treatment and is effective against waste solids and household tissue paper. —

Kevin Brouillard, Travel + Leisure, 28 Apr. 2023 In drafting, parallel lines can be used to describe solids in three dimensions. —

Jonathon Keats, Forbes, 20 Apr. 2023 As defined by the report, particle pollution, also known as soot, is a mixture of tiny bits of solids and liquids in the air that can come from many sources that emit fine particles. —

Dr. Suraj Patel, ABC News, 19 Apr. 2023 Some sour cream products might contain nonfat milk solids and stabilizers. —

Erica Sweeney, Men's Health, 6 Mar. 2023

Adverb

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 Analysts said some of the ICBMs appeared to be solid-propellant missiles that can be launched more quickly and are harder to detect. —

Min Joo Kim, Washington Post, 18 Feb. 2023 One thing has stayed rock-solid over the past several decades and that is a general fear of change, both spoken and unspoken. —

Paige Francis, Forbes, 15 Aug. 2022 That raised the possibility that other promises that run counter to local laws and customs — including issues like press freedom, street protests and the rights of LGBTQ+ visitors — were not as rock-solid as Qatar and FIFA have said. —

Tariq Panja, New York Times, 18 Nov. 2022 Aberdeen sophomore goalie Nevaeh Kelly was solid early on as Bel Air pressure and shots came quickly after the starting whistle. —

Randy Mcroberts, Baltimore Sun, 2 Nov. 2022 Hotels and ticketed events in the neighborhood had been booked solid ahead, and large crowds were expected. —

Sophie Jeong, CNN, 30 Oct. 2022 Yamini Rangan of Hubspot, cited last month as the best CEO for women according to female reviews, is a good example of someone who’s done solid yet relatively short stints at a variety of companies. —

Sairah Ashman, Forbes, 11 Aug. 2022 But demand for labor remains rock solid, providing skilled workers a good bit of leverage. —

Fortune, 17 Aug. 2022 See More

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

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Solid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/solid. Accessed 8 Jun. 2023.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

solid

1 of 2 adjective

sol·id ˈsäl-əd

: not hollow

: written as one word

a solid compound

: having, involving, or dealing with solids : cubic sense 2

a solid geometric shape

: not loose or spongy : compact

a solid mass of rock

: neither gaseous nor liquid

solid ice

solid waste

: of good sturdy quality or kind

solid comfort

solid reasons

: not interrupted

for three solid hours

: being in complete agreement : unanimous, united

solid for pay increases

: thoroughly dependable : reliable

a solid citizen

: earnest or important in purpose

solid reading

: of one material, kind, or color

solid gold

solid adverb

solidly adverb

solidness noun

solid

2 of 2 noun

: a geometric figure or element (as a cube or a sphere) having three dimensions

: a solid substance : a substance that keeps its size and shape

Medical Definition

solid

1 of 2 adjective

sol·id ˈsäl-əd

: being without an internal cavity : not hollow

solid tumors

: possessing or characterized by the properties of a solid : neither gaseous nor liquid

of immunity : capable of resisting severe challenge

solidly adverb

solid

2 of 2 noun

: 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