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

Offerman, once again, shows his versatility; his Jinx is both brawny and vulnerable. —Randy Myers, Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2026

With tribe immunity at a premium in these early episodes, the targets may well be the players known as brainy schemers rather than brawny athletes. —Joe Reid, Vulture, 25 Feb. 2026

Gone are the days of a brawny construction worker or brainy engineer stepping up to build a sturdy shelter, winning the admiration (or the loathing) of their new tribemates. —Kristen Geil, Outside, 24 Feb. 2026

Young boys cleaned test tubes, brawny machinists built gauges and mills, and scales delicate enough to weigh an inch of a spider's web. —Natalia Sánchez Loayza, Scientific American, 5 Feb. 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