What does stout mean?
Stout is an old English word now used chiefly as an adjective meaning strong, solidly built, thick, or firmly determined. A stout person or structure seems capable of withstanding pressure, while a stout drink is rich and substantial. Stout may also praise dependable support: a stout defender is someone who resists opposition firmly and courageously. As a noun, stout refers to a strong, dark beer, especially in Britain and Ireland, though the drink is also familiar in the United States and elsewhere. Historically, the noun could denote a person of strong build or a determined partisan, but these uses are now uncommon or dated. In everyday speech, the adjective remains useful because it conveys both physical strength and moral resolve. Saying that someone is stout can imply that they are solid, resolute, and difficult to shake, while “stout beer” identifies a traditional dark brew made with substantial quantities of roasted malts.
Strong or solidly built; thick or substantial; firm and unyielding.
"The cottage had stout walls and a heavily reinforced roof."
Often implies solidity and durability. In phrases such as “stout resistance” or “a stout defender,” it can also describe steadfastness or determination.
A strong, dark beer. The word formerly also referred to a strongly built person or a determined supporter.
"She chose a creamy stout served at cellar temperature."
The modern countable noun ordinarily means a beer; the older senses for a person or supporter are historical or archaic.
Used as a countable noun for individual servings, varieties, or containers of stout beer.
"The brewery released two stouts for its winter tasting."
Stout can describe anything built to endure—from a person to a mug of dark, strong beer.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does stout come from?
Stout entered Middle English from Anglo-French or Old French estout, a word meaning proud, strong, or bold. Its deeper history is Germanic, and the modern English sense developed from earlier meanings of fierceness and strong physical build toward ideas of solidity, thickness, and strength. The longstanding noun sense for a strong beer developed later, while older uses referring to a strongly built person or a determined supporter have largely fallen out of everyday use.
Related word forms
How stout is actually used
When describing beer, stout denotes a strong, dark beer and is common in both British and American English. As an adjective, stout is often commendatory when it means strong or steadfast, but it can be mildly disparaging when applied to a person's build.