Definition
Robust means built to take a beating and keep working — from the Latin robur, 'oak', the hardest of woods. A robust bridge, a robust immune system, a robust economy all share one trait: they absorb shocks that would break weaker things and carry on unharmed. Unlike resilient, which bounces back after damage, robust suggests the damage barely lands at all. It is the flat opposite of brittle and tenuous: where those fail at the first real strain, the robust holds.
Examples
- Engineers designed a robust frame that shrugs off the worst storms.
- The study's conclusions rest on a robust set of data.
- A robust economy can absorb a shock that would cripple a weaker one.
Collocations
a robust system·robust evidence·a robust economy·robust health
Synonyms
sturdy·tough·durable·hardy·sound
Antonyms
Word family
robustness (noun)·robustly (adverb)
In TOEFL & IELTS
A versatile, high-band word: TOEFL uses it for sturdy structures and strong scientific evidence ('robust findings'), and IELTS rewards 'a robust argument/economy/system'. Distinguish it from 'resilient' (recovers after a hit) — robust resists the hit in the first place. The noun 'robustness' is common in research and engineering. Stress the second syllable: ro-BUST.