Word
sturdy
Phoneticsstur·dy, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈstɝdi/
UK/stˈɜːdi/
Definition
adj. strong and solid. You use this to describe things that are well-made and do not break easily.
adj. strongly and solidly built; robust in construction or constitution. Often used to describe furniture, structures, or physical builds that can withstand pressure or heavy use.
Examples
“The table is sturdy enough to hold all these heavy books.”
“You should wear a pair of sturdy boots if you plan to hike on this rocky trail.”
“Despite the fierce coastal winds, the lighthouse remained sturdy, its thick stone walls having protected the lantern for over a century.”
Examples
simple
“The table is sturdy enough to hold all these heavy books.”
contextual
“You should wear a pair of sturdy boots if you plan to hike on this rocky trail.”
complex
“Despite the fierce coastal winds, the lighthouse remained sturdy, its thick stone walls having protected the lantern for over a century.”
Usage
Can be used both attributively (a sturdy chair) and predicatively (the chair is sturdy).
Real-World Examples
“I probably would only replace the step stool if I found one that was equally sturdy, but 10,000x more chic.” “They were also made to be more sturdy, so that children could play with them.” Etymology
From Middle English sturdy, stourdy, stordy (“bold, valiant, strong, stern, fierce, rebellious”) (perhaps influenced by Middle English sture, stoure, stor (“strong, robust, harsh, stern, violent, fierce, sturdy”); see English stour), from Old French estourdi (“dazed”), form of estourdir, originally “to daze, to make tipsy (almost drunk)” (Modern French étourdir (“to daze, to make tipsy”)), from Vulgar Latin *exturdire. Latin etymology is unclear – presumably it is ex- + turdus (“thrush (bird)”), but how this should mean “daze” is unclear. A speculative theory is that thrushes eat leftover winery grapes and thus became drunk, but this meets with objections. Disease in cows and sheep is by extension of sense of “daze”, while sense of “strongly built” is of late 14th century, and relationship to earlier sense is less clear, perhaps from sense of a firm strike (causing a daze) or a strong, violent person.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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