stubby

adjective

stub·​by ˈstə-bē 

stubbier; stubbiest

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

• chunky
• dumpy
• heavyset
• squat
• squatty
• stocky
• stout
• stumpy
• thickset

Examples of stubby in a Sentence

hands with thick stubby fingers

My dog has a short stubby tail.

Recent Examples on the Web

Judge Reinhold, as an overly genteel young detective whom Foley brings into the adult world, and John Ashton, as Reinhold’s surly, stubby older partner, carry a burden as big as Murphy’s through the second half of the picture. —David Denby, Vulture, 3 July 2024

Simplicity, understood like this, is complexity well tended, just as a long, graceful line is a collection of stubby ones, tamed but not deadened. —Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024

If the nail looks short and stubby, the cat has been keeping up with its nails enough on its own. —Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 14 Sep. 2024

Since humans evolved to care for our young, research suggests we’re drawn to infantile features in other animals, like big eyes, round cheeks and stubby limbs. —Hannah Richter, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

stubby

adjective

stub·​by ˈstəb-ē 

: resembling a stub especially in shortness and broadness

stubby fingers