sturdy

Meaning

1. Of firm build; stiff; stout; strong.
2. Solid in structure or person.
3. (obsolete) Foolishly obstinate or resolute; stubborn.
4. Resolute, in a good sense; or firm, unyielding quality.

strong

be thick

unwieldy

square-built

unsuasible

short and fat

unmalleable

stout and strong

well-nourished

thick-bodied

unfrightened

unintimidated

healthy⫷mn⫸

strong⫷mn⫸

good quality

Frequency

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈstɜːdi/

Inherited from Middle English

sturdy

In summary

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.

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