Word of the Day

Friday, August 25, 2006

robustious

\roh-BUHS-chuhs\ , adjective;

Boisterous; vigorous.

Coarse; rough; crude.

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Quotes:

. . .the robustious romantic figure comparable to John Willoughby in Sense and Sensibility--he comes in with dash, then proves a temptation to the heroine but is an eventual disappointment.

-- Stanley Kauffmann, "Emma", New Republic, August 19, 1996

When the meaning of the disturbance became clear to him he placed a hand beside his mouth and shouted: "Hey! Frank!" in such a robustious voice that the feeble clamor of the natives was drowned and silenced.

-- O. Henry, Cabbages and Kings

Here he has seemingly swilled some of Falstaff's sack and has had robustious, fiery fun.

-- Stanley Kauffmann, "Star-Crossed Lovers", New Republic, January 4, 1999

Origin:

Robustious derives from Latin robustus, "oaken, hence strong, powerful, firm," from robur, "oak."