brawn

noun

ˈbrȯn 

1

a

British : the flesh of a boar

b

: headcheese

2

a

: full strong muscles

b

: muscular strength

Synonyms

• beef
• main
• muscle
• thew

Examples of brawn in a Sentence

an actor who is more famous for his brawn than for his talent

Recent Examples on the Web

Low stimulation shows for toddlers like this one, where solving mysteries using your brain rather than your brawn, while trying to find the good in people (or in the case, animals) who make mistakes, will be a welcome addition to your entertainment routine. —Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 20 May 2025

And Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood Green steel mill stood as a powerful 20th Century symbol of the city’s industrial brawn. —Jeffrey Steele, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025

Comfort entailed meeting the Pistons’ brawn, not getting muscled out of Michigan. —Fred Katz, New York Times, 3 May 2025

Whether infectious diseases or space exploration, these panels of experts are the unpaid brains behind the brawn of the U.S. government. —Dan Vergano, Scientific American, 23 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French braon flesh, muscle, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English brǣd flesh

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for brawn

• aune
• bon
• bonne
• chon
• con
• conn
• crohn
• dawn
• drawn
• fawn
• gone
• hon

Kids Definition

brawn

noun

ˈbrȯn 

1

: full strong muscles

2

: muscular strength

3

British : the meat of a boar

brawniness

ˈbrȯ-nē-nəs

noun

brawny

ˈbrȯ-nē

adjective