burly

adjective

bur·​ly ˈbər-lē How to pronounce burly (audio)
burlier; burliest
Synonyms of burlynext
: strongly and heavily built : husky
a burly man
burlily adverb
burliness noun

Examples of burly in a Sentence

a burly delivery man brought the furniture
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The burly right-hander is set to make his MLB debut at Kauffman Stadium against the Cleveland Guardians. Jaylon Thompson may 6, Kansas City Star, 6 May 2026 Drummond is a burly, 6-foot-11 glass glutton. Fred Katz, New York Times, 6 May 2026 With 7-foot-1 defensive menace Rudy Gobert at center and the burly Julius Randle at power forward, the Timberwolves love to overwhelm teams with size. Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 3 May 2026 Floyd, distraught by his own physical failures, is nevertheless repulsed by the sight of Carol in her big, burly ump gear. Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for burly

Word History

Etymology

Middle English

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of burly was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Burly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/burly. Accessed 17 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

burly

adjective
bur·​ly ˈbər-lē How to pronounce burly (audio)
burlier; burliest
: strongly and heavily built
a burly man
burliness noun

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