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

Upon entering the arena, the steel at the lower levels reveals itself as quite brawny. — Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026

His main problem in winning Katrina is the presence of rivals for her hand, especially the brawny, Herculean Brom Van Brunt, known as Brom Bones. — Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026

Before, the city seemed to have been run by bankers and media professionals and fashion people and celebrities, but now Manhattan had been turned over to men in urban-warfare attire, with brawny forearms and high-and-tight haircuts. — Devin Friedman, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026

Starship will be key to building and maintaining this constellation, which will require many launches of the brawny, fully reusable rocket. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 31 July 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