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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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 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 Madden was the burly, garrulous head coach of the Oakland Raiders in the 1970s, leading the team to many championship games and its first Super Bowl victory. — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 6 Aug. 2026 Though his onscreen appearances are brief, Momoa’s face looks fierce superimposed over a burly green body with pointed fangs and sharp claws. — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 30 July 2026 My new friend is a mountain of a man — over 6-foot-6 and burly. — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for burly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for burly

Adjective

There’s no end of things to do here—an athletic club, frequent cultural events, and an exquisite spa.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Oct. 2026
The development also would include a 17-acre community park with a playground, athletic fields and other amenities, as well as retail space.

— Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of athletic

Adjective

Hastert was aware of the personal pitfalls of holding the powerful position.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
With the Heat’s offense often spacing all five players around the three-point line, Antetokounmpo will have plenty of room to operate as one of the most powerful drivers in the NBA.

— Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 5 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

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
Parks and Tamburello openly flirted on their season of The Traitors, with the beefy Boston native and Southern belle often pairing up during the reality competition’s challenges.

— Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of beefy

Adjective

Ominously, though, Huss' research shows that individual glaciers, among them Switzerland's biggest, like the mighty Rhône and Aletsch, have suffered record ice loss this year.

— Imogen Foulkes, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026
In only the second week of this season, the mighty Ohio State Buckeyes wilted in brutal heat in the fourth quarter at Texas, blowing a 20-point lead and losing by a single point.

— Bradley Gitz, Arkansas Online, 28 Sep. 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

The hulking, five-story border checkpoint facility, which loomed over the surrounding area in the grand style of Chinese government facilities, has been obliterated.

— Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026
The ballroom project, a hulking party venue that overshadows the White House’s main building and its modest neoclassical design, could be another.

— Janay Kingsberry, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of hulking

Adjective

Denver is a tough place to play, and the Broncos defense is stout.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
Despite the offensive struggles, a stout defense kept the Panthers within striking distance, allowing FAU (2-1) to score only 10 points off those three turnovers.

— Alejandro Hernandez, Miami Herald, 20 Sep. 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 8 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of burly

adjective

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