Adjective

(en-adj)

Very large or wide (literally or figuratively).

The Sahara desert is vast .

There is a vast difference between them.

Very great in size, amount, degree, intensity, or especially extent.

* {{quote-magazine, year=2012, month=March-April

, author=Anna Lena Phillips , title=Sneaky Silk Moths , volume=100, issue=2, page=172 , magazine=(American Scientist) citation , passage=Last spring, the periodical cicadas emerged across eastern North America. Their vast numbers and short above-ground life spans inspired awe and irritation in humans—and made for good meals for birds and small mammals.}}

(obsolete) Waste; desert; desolate; lonely.

* William Shakespeare, the Life and Death of Richard the Third Act I, scene IV:

the empty, vast , and wandering air

Adjective

(er)

Evincing strength; indicating vigorous health; strong; sinewy; muscular; vigorous; sound; as, a robust body; robust youth; robust health.

He was a robust man of six feet four.

* Anthony Trollope (1815-1882)

She was stronger, larger, more robust physically than he had hitherto conceived.

Violent; rough; rude.

* {{quote-news

, year=2011 , date=October 1 , author=Phil McNulty , title=Everton 0 - 2 Liverpool , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=As a frenetic opening continued, Cahill - whose robust approach had already prompted Jamie Carragher to register his displeasure to Atkinson - rose above the Liverpool defence to force keeper Pepe Reina into an athletic tip over the top.}}

Requiring strength or vigor; as, robust employment.

Sensible (of intellect etc.); straightforward, not given to or confused by uncertainty or subtlety;

(systems engineering) Designed or evolved in such a way as to be resistant to total failure despite partial damage.

(software engineering) Resistant or impervious to failure regardless of user input or unexpected conditions.

(statistics) Not greatly influenced by errors in assumptions about the distribution of sample errors.