Stocky means having a solid, sturdy build with a thick, compact body. Someone who is stocky has a strong, heavy frame but isn't tall or thin. A stocky person might be shorter than average but broad and powerfully built, like a wrestler or a rugby player.

The word describes a particular body type: solid and strong rather than lean or lanky. A stocky dog breed like a bulldog has a low, muscular body, while a greyhound is tall and slender. A stocky oak tree has a thick, sturdy trunk, while a birch tree is thin and delicate.

Stocky suggests strength and stability. In stories, a stocky blacksmith might have powerful arms from years of hammering metal, or a stocky farmer might be built strong from physical labor. The word carries a sense of being built like a tank: solid, grounded, and tough.

You might hear someone described as “short and stocky” or having a “stocky frame.” Unlike words like “fat” or “overweight,” stocky describes build and shape rather than judging someone’s body. It's about being solidly built rather than simply heavy.