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

The band steadily climbed the charts in its native Australia, pairing its brawny rock with sincere and outspoken political activism. —Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026

The horn section sounds deep and crisp, punching out riffs on Kupka’s brawny bari foundation. —Andrew Gilbert, Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2026

Thanks to all that power, the brawny cruiser could sprint from zero to 60 mph in under six seconds and reach a top speed of 181 mph. —Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 14 Jan. 2026

The actor Nicholas Christopher—brawny, bald, with a perpetually cocked eyebrow that brings to mind Yul Brynner—strode through the aisles of Tashkent Supermarket in Brighton Beach one afternoon. —Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025

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