sinewy

adjective

sin·​ewy ˈsin-yə-wē 

 also  ˈsi-nə-

1

: full of sinews: such as

a

: tough, stringy

sinewy meat

b

: strong

sinewy arms

2

: marked by the strength of sinews

a demanding sinewy intelligence

—Helen Dudar

Synonyms

• brawny
• muscular
• rugged
• stalwart
• stout
• strong

Examples of sinewy in a Sentence

The lion has a sinewy body.

a sinewy piece of meat

Recent Examples on the Web

At 60, the sinewy Harbaugh is as fit as any head coach in the game, and his heart issues — diagnosed as atrial flutter — are not indisputably attributable to the stress of the game. —Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2024

The tricky part is that sometimes they’re sold with that sinewy tissue intact. —Mary Squillace, Robb Report, 27 Sep. 2024

The story begins with Odysseus washed up on the shoreline, the waves lapping at his naked body (Ralph Fiennes has transformed himself into a sinewy muscularity, and the impressive results are fully displayed). —Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Sep. 2024

On August 7, the sinewy, shiny artwork was unveiled at Liverpool station by Transport for London, the real estate investment trust company British Land and the City of London Corporation. —Karen K. Ho, ARTnews.com, 7 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

sinewy

adjective

sin·​ewy ˈsin-yə-wē 

 also  ˈsin-ə-

1

: full of sinews : stringy

sinewy meat

2

: strong sense 1

sinewy arms