stubby

adjective

stub·​by ˈstə-bē How to pronounce stubby (audio)
stubbier; stubbiest
Synonyms of stubbynext
1
: abounding with stubs
2
a
: resembling a stub : being short and thick
stubby fingers
b
: being short and thickset : squat
c
: being short, broad, or blunt (as from use or wear)
an old stubby pencil

Synonyms of stubby

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of stubby in a Sentence

hands with thick stubby fingers My dog has a short stubby tail.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Turned into an elegant hors d’oeuvre with a wedge of Brie and a stubby cornichon. — Nina Moskowitz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 5 July 2026 For a moment, my stubby, bare brown fingers hover over my keyboard, the speed-​typing test on my screen counting the clock down to zero. — Mason Leib, ABC News, 2 Feb. 2026 But sadder yet is when a deer or rabbit decides to devour a young plant, leaving behind one stubby, leafless stick in the ground. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 7 June 2026 The player uses a stubby wooden bat shaped like a small frying pan to try to scoop it back, but the geometry defeats her. — Mark Rice-Oxley, Christian Science Monitor, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for stubby

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stubby was in the 15th century

Rhymes for stubby

See All Rhymes for stubby

Browse Nearby Words

Stubbs
stubby
stube
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stubby.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stubby. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

stubby

adjective
stub·​by ˈstəb-ē How to pronounce stubby (audio)
: resembling a stub especially in shortness and broadness
stubby fingers

More from Merriam-Webster on stubby

Nglish: Translation of stubby for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All