1
as in muscular
having muscles capable of exerting great physical force
the store manager always asked the brawniest person there to do the heavy lifting
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sinewy
marked by a well-developed musculature
brawny arms that weren't developed in the gym but by years of work in the construction business
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in athletic
strongly and heavily built
a tough little boy who's going to be a brawny man someday
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of brawny
Today, the open source OS kernel known as Linux absolutely dominates the brawny server market—particularly for cloud computing and especially for supercomputers and AI infrastructure.
—
Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2025
The stately and imposing Graham McTavish helped lead Outlander as brawny war chief Dougal MacKenzie on the first two seasons of Outlander, though the actor would return for a couple more appearances later in the series.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 12 Aug. 2025
And brawny local dad Archer Graff (Josh Brolin), whose son is one of the missing children, is determined to find out what that something might be.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 6 Aug. 2025
India Standard Time) atop a GSLV Mk II, one of India's brawniest rockets.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for brawny
Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2025
The stately and imposing Graham McTavish helped lead Outlander as brawny war chief Dougal MacKenzie on the first two seasons of Outlander, though the actor would return for a couple more appearances later in the series.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 12 Aug. 2025
And brawny local dad Archer Graff (Josh Brolin), whose son is one of the missing children, is determined to find out what that something might be.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 6 Aug. 2025
India Standard Time) atop a GSLV Mk II, one of India's brawniest rockets.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for brawny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brawny
Adjective
-
He would not be drawn on whether that tension could have triggered a muscular reaction.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Fitness Optimization Runners with strong endurance, aerobic capacity, and muscular strength maintain faster paces.—
Christopher Bergland,
Verywell Health,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The Obama Presidential Center was conceptualized as a campus, including a museum, library, athletic facility, and fruit and vegetable gardens to act as a community space in commemoration of the 44th president of the United States.—
Christine Valora,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Would those traits be enough against the most physical and athletic opponent the Cavaliers had encountered?—
David Teel,
Miami Herald,
27 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Though he was outdueled by Aaron Nola, whose bid for perfection was broken up by Christian Vázquez’s solo home run with two outs in the sixth inning, Ryan turned in one final strong start to cap the best season of his career.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
27 Sep. 2025
-
While Xaverian had one final opportunity late, the Golden Eagles stood strong defensively.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
27 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
In the picture, a large brown bear stands at Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park and Preserve as a sockeye salmon, attempting to make its way over the rapids, lands in the predator’s powerful jaws.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Sep. 2025
-
The powerful currents of flash floods can carry drivers off the road.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
27 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The youngest brother, Benjamin, a laudanum addict is the black sheep of the family and his costumes are equally dark and rugged.—
Hikmat Mohammed,
Footwear News,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Where to stay Set along an 11-mile stretch of deserted beach on Sardinia’s rugged Costa Verde, Le Dune Piscinas is framed by Europe’s tallest sand dunes, part of a UNESCO World Heritage site.—
Chloe Arrojado,
AFAR Media,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Atom, Kavalier’s burly enforcer.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Each year, the burly bears of Katmai National Park and Preserve capture global attention in a March Madness-style bracket challenge as fans pick which bear advances in each round.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
22 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Instead of houses or shops, this was lined with the tombs of Termessos’ rich and mighty.—
Barry Neild,
CNN Money,
23 Sep. 2025
-
This confluence of literature, politics, theatre, and music, condensed within a single year the mighty span of the Harlem Renaissance, its inspirations, and its influences.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
His pho stands out with its beefy broth, layered with smoke from the charred aromatics and fall-apart brisket.—
Bao Ong,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
23 Sep. 2025
-
So Ben drove his wife, and their youngest daughter in her car seat, to Gart and bought her a pair of beefy waterproof leather Sorel Asystec hiking boots.—
Ted Katauskas,
Outside,
23 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Brawny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brawny. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share