muscle

1 of 2

noun

mus·​cle ˈmə-səl 

often attributive

1

a

: a body tissue consisting of long cells that contract when stimulated and produce motion

b

: an organ that is essentially a mass of muscle tissue attached at either end to a fixed point and that by contracting moves or checks the movement of a body part

2

a

: muscular strength : brawn

b

: effective strength : power

political muscle

muscle

2 of 2

verb

muscled; muscling ˈmə-s(ə-)liŋ 

transitive verb

: to move or force by or as if by muscular effort

muscled him out of office

intransitive verb

: to make one's way by brute strength or by force

Synonyms

Noun

• beef
• brawn
• main
• thew

Verb

• blackjack
• coerce
• compel
• constrain
• dragoon
• drive
• force
• impel
• impress
• make
• obligate
• oblige
• press
• pressure
• sandbag

Examples of muscle in a Sentence

Noun

the muscles of the arm

an athlete with bulging muscles

He pulled a muscle playing tennis.

She has a strained muscle in her back.

She started lifting weights to build muscle.

She doesn't have the muscle to lift something so heavy.

Verb

They muscled the heavy boxes onto the truck.

They muscled the furniture up the stairs.

He muscled through the crowd.

They muscled into line behind us.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Try it as a dynamic warm-up: Experts now generally recommend warming up the muscles with gentle movement, rather than static stretching. —The New York Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Apr. 2025

Exercises focusing on stretching and strengthening the calf and foot muscles can help alleviate this pain. —Tim Petrie, Dpt, Verywell Health, 21 Apr. 2025

Verb

These supplies making their way to Europe, as well as American LNG supplies muscling into the market, lessen the demand for Russian exports, Sabatus said. —Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Apr. 2025

Just like their clothes, her friends’ bodies had more purpose now, Amina thought; they were muscled and smooth, made to look that way through discipline and deliberation. —Ayşegül Savaş, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Latin musculus, from diminutive of mus mouse — more at mouse entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

circa 1819, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Phrases Containing muscle

• cardiac muscle
• extraocular muscle
• involuntary muscle
• move a muscle
• muscle-bound
• muscle car
• muscle in
• muscle memory
• muscle one's way
• muscle relaxant
• muscle shirt
• muscle spindle
• oblique muscle
• pectoral muscle
• put some muscle into
• skeletal muscle
• smooth muscle
• sternocleidomastoid muscle
• sternomastoid muscle
• striated muscle
• voluntary muscle

Rhymes for muscle

• bustle
• hustle
• mussel
• russel
• rustle
• trussell
• tussle
• mofussil

Video

When Body Parts Are Also Verbs

Head, shoulders, metaphors, and toes

Kids Definition

muscle

1 of 2 noun

mus·​cle ˈməs-əl 

1

a

: a body tissue consisting of long cells that can contract and produce motion

b

: an organ that is a mass of muscle tissue attached at either end to a fixed point (as to bones) and that by contracting moves or stops the movement of a body part

2

a

: muscular strength : brawn

b

: power entry 1 sense 2

lacks the muscle to make good on campaign promises

muscle

2 of 2 verb

muscled; muscling ˈməs-(ə-)liŋ 

1

: to force from a position

was muscled out of office by political opponents

2

: to force one's way

muscled through the crowd

Etymology

Noun

from Latin musculus "muscle, little mouse," from mus "mouse"

Word Origin

People today are perhaps unlikely to think of their muscles as resembling mice. The ancient Romans, however, saw a likeness, especially in the major muscles of the arms and legs. For that reason the Latin word musculus, which originally meant "little mouse," came to be used to mean "muscle."

Medical Definition

muscle

noun

mus·​cle ˈməs-əl 

often attributive

1

: a body tissue consisting of long cells that contract when stimulated and produce motion see cardiac muscle, smooth muscle, striated muscle

2

: an organ that is essentially a mass of muscle tissue attached at either end to a fixed point and that by contracting moves or checks the movement of a body part see agonist sense 1, antagonist sense a, synergist sense 2