burly

adjective

bur·​ly ˈbər-lē How to pronounce burly (audio)
burlier; burliest
: 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 Steven Spielberg cast John Rhys-Davies in the big, burly role specifically for his Falstaff-like features — Sallah has no problem keeping up with this Jones. Ew Staff Updated, EW.com, 6 Mar. 2024 The entire Kelce family was present, watching as the burly, bearded, typically jovial and wise-cracking Jason broke down in tears multiple times at the podium on national television. Kristina Behr, Parents, 6 Mar. 2024 The De La Salle senior ran through the mud, brushed aside desperate Los Alamitos arm tackles, and then burst into open grass for a brief sprint before the burly 220-pound bowling ball dove for the Spartans’ fourth score. Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2024 Also ideal for guides or people carrying heavy packs and looking for more stability, these burly boots have full-length stabilizers for lateral support, and the PU wrap provides extra torsional stability and can prevent ankle rolling. Maggie Slepian, Travel + Leisure, 9 Feb. 2024 The protagonist, the burly chief of police Andri (Olafur Darri Olaffson), became an international fan favorite for his rumpled demeanor and glorious Nordic beard. David Faris, theweek, 14 Jan. 2024 Mountain West preseason player of the year Isaiah Stevens and Colorado transfer Nique Clifford each had 20 points, and burly Division II transfer Joel Scott (15 points) was a matchup nightmare for SDSU’s power forwards in iso sets on the low block. Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Jan. 2024 The Bills’ offense hinges on the pass attack led by Dave Cross, the quarterback, a burly but taciturn Army veteran and a below-knee amputee. Matt Higgins Jalen Wright, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2023 The contractors’ event took place in a banquet hall of several dozen people, mostly men, mostly white, many burly or tattooed. Sarah Larson, The New Yorker, 14 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'burly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near burly

Cite this Entry

“Burly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/burly. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

burly

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

More from Merriam-Webster on burly

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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