brawny

adjective

ˈbrȯ-nē 

brawnier; brawniest

1

: muscular

also : strong, powerful

2

: being swollen and hard

a brawny infected foot

brawnily

ˈbrȯ-nə-lē 

adverb

brawniness

ˈbrȯ-nē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of brawny

• muscular
• strong
• powerful
• rugged
• mighty
• stout

Examples of brawny in a Sentence

the store manager always asked the brawniest person there to do the heavy lifting

brawny arms that weren't developed in the gym but by years of work in the construction business

Recent Examples on the Web

Some might make the case that 2005’s brawny alien apocalypse action thriller War of the Worlds fits the bill. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 9 June 2026

Yet once Adam is fully in command of his sword, so to speak, and subjected to a brawny He-Man makeover that at least spares him the lank bowl cut of the original model, things get rather less spry. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 2 June 2026

SpaceX's Starship now holds that record, though SLS remains the brawniest vehicle ever to reach Earth orbit. — Brett Tingley, Space.com, 27 Feb. 2026

In its first return to theaters since the female-forward phenomenon, the El Segundo toymaker is turning to the brawny He-Man for another box-office lift. — Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for brawny

• bonnie
• bonny
• connie
• johnnie
• johnny
• mani
• rani
• scrawny
• tawny
• afghani
• fulani
• romani

Medical Definition

brawny

adjective

ˈbrȯ-nē 

brawnier; brawniest

: being swollen and hard

a brawny infected foot