BURLY Synonyms: 81 Similar and Opposite Words

burly

adjective

ˈbər-lē

Definition of burly

as in athletic

strongly and heavily built a burly delivery man brought the furniture

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of burly Emmett Doyle is a burly and bearded union carpenter and musician in Minneapolis who writes and performs folk music about the struggles of the working class. — Emily Witt, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026 This burly and battle-tested Chaminade-Madonna offensive line is led by three-star 6-foot-5 guard Devon Munnings, who is committed to Liberty. — Ethan Hanson, Daily News, 27 Aug. 2026 Taylor Lally is a blue-eyed, burly, bespectacled man, with a beard about halfway to the the full Duck Dynasty look. — Andrew Zucker, HollywoodReporter, 17 Aug. 2026 Fauci asked as a burly officer marched the man through the main door of the building and toward a police van, his hands zip-tied behind him. — Michael Collins, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for burly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for burly

Adjective

Classes, activities and athletic events across Bend-La Pine Schools are canceled tomorrow, the district announced.

— Phil Helsel, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2026
Valdes applauds her patient’s athletic lifestyle and said several large studies back the benefits of finding a physical and social activity when dealing with cancer.

— Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of athletic

Adjective

At Gucci, the iconic Horsebit takes center stage across bags, belts and shoes, transforming timeless house codes into powerful statement accessories.

— Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
Simon has weakened to a Category 2 storm, its eye remaining just offshore as its most powerful winds and rain slammed communities between the Sierra Madre and the ocean and were forecast to persist off the coast of Puerto Vallarta.

— JAIMIE DING, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of powerful

Adjective

Her husky voice made Pugh, as an up-and-comer, seem wise beyond her years in breakout roles as a Machiavellian teenage bride in Lady Macbeth and an actor turned spy in The Little Drummer Girl.

— Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 25 Sep. 2026
Tyler, after a brief recovery period, returned to the recording studio with a huskier, edgier voice.

— Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026

Definition of husky

Adjective

Steaks — particularly ribeye, sirloin and strip — brown faster with another layer of beefy flavor.

— Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 12 Oct. 2026
More complex conversations and image edits may use the cloud for beefier AI, but the amount that happens right on the device makes the Mac Studio smarter and more private than ever.

— Brian Westover, PC Magazine, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of beefy

Adjective

Smesko — who went 611-112 at FGCU and won 25 games in each of his last 14 seasons there, a run matched by only mighty Geno Auriemma and UConn in that span — took the leap into the pro world.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
The curators, David Breslin and Brinda Kumar, don’t accomplish this with appeals to timeliness or relevance but with a mighty selection of pieces—more than a hundred and twenty, from eighty-two different institutions—and smart exhibition design.

— Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of mighty

Adjective

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, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of brawny

Adjective

Block after block of hulking data centers – both new and under construction – rise up seemingly out of nowhere from rolling plains and fields of sunflowers and sorghum.

— Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026
The blades were smaller then, the towers shorter, the whole apparatus closer to a windmill than the hulking machines erected today—the tallest of which exceed 300 meters, with rotor blades longer than a football field.

— Sam Birchall, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of hulking

Adjective

Atlanta is playing without Za'Darius Smith, the team leader with 2 1/2 sacks who suffered a concussion/neck injury in Week 4, but its pass rush remains stout.

— AJC.com, AJC.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Patterson, a Hall of Fame coach known for stout defenses, was supposed to help Riley address the Trojans’ biggest weakness, but the turnaround hasn’t been swift or smooth.

— Jordan Puente, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of stout

Browse Nearby Words

burliness

burly

burn

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“Burly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burly. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of burly

adjective

Example Sentences

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