Meaning & use
robust
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Strong, healthy, and full of energy; able to withstand hardship.
Grammar: Gradable: a robust child; more robust health.
Patterns
- robust health
- a robust economy
- robust growth
Regular walking helps older adults stay robust.
The seedlings were surprisingly robust after the frost.
adjectivecomparable
Sturdy and resistant to damage, wear, or rough use.
Grammar: Often attributive before nouns like design, frame, or system.
Patterns
- robust design
- robust construction
- robust materials
The field laptop has a robust case for harsh conditions.
They chose robust materials for the playground equipment.
adjectivecomparabletechnical
Strong, sound, and unlikely to fail or be easily challenged.
Grammar: Common with abstract nouns: evidence, argument, economy, software.
Patterns
- robust evidence
- a robust argument
- robust software
- robust security
The study provides robust evidence for the new treatment.
The app needs robust security before public release.
Word forms
| comparative | more robust |
|---|---|
| superlative | most robust |
Common combinations
- robust health
- Good sleep supports robust health.
- robust economy
- Exports helped create a robust economy.
- robust debate
- The committee welcomed robust debate before voting.
- robust design
- A robust design reduces maintenance costs.
- robust evidence
- The claim rests on robust evidence from several trials.
Synonyms and how they differ
- sturdy
- Best for physical strength and solid construction; robust also fits health and arguments.
- resilient
- Emphasizes recovering after stress or shock, while robust emphasizes resisting failure.
- vigorous
- Highlights energy and force, especially in people or growth, not resistance of objects.
- sound
- Often for reasoning, evidence, or structures that are reliable and well-founded.
Opposites
Word family
- robustly adverb
- In a strong, sturdy, or vigorous way.
- robustness noun
- The quality of being strong and resistant to failure.
Commonly confused: robust or robust?
robust vs robust
Do not spell as robuste; the adjective is robust, with related noun robustness.
Practice
“The results remained stable across regions, so the researchers called them _____.”
Choose one answer.
Findings that hold up across tests are robust; fragile, frail, and weak all suggest failure under stress.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “robust”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.