burly

adjective

ˈbər-lē How to pronounce burly (audio)
Definition of burlynext
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 My new friend is a mountain of a man — over 6-foot-6 and burly. — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 29 July 2026 The boy was burly and had a remarkable strength and energy that stayed throughout his life, only faltering in the very last throes of death. — Literary Hub, 20 July 2026 Morocco’s burly defender Issa Diop was nearly on top of him, but Mbappé didn’t give him time to challenge. — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 10 July 2026 Waving and smiling, Aveiro, accompanied by a burly gentleman, takes a seat at a table bedecked with a bouquet of roses, ready to tuck into some cuisine from her native country. — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for burly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burly
  1. athletic
  2. powerful
  3. husky
  4. beefy
  5. mighty
  6. brawny
  7. hulking
  8. stout
Adjective
  • This summer jerseys and track shorts officially dethroned yoga pants as the athletic trend du jour for fashion connoisseurs, with a focus on both comfort and style through elegant finishing touches.
    — Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The problem is that, on average, most Bowl Subdivision athletic departments at the top of the food chain also reported losing money.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of athletic
Adjective
  • Immediately after that, a powerful blast rips through the street.
    — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
  • McLaurin, the nominee for lieutenant governor, is trying to become the first Democrat to win the powerful seat since Mark Taylor left office in 2007.
    — David Wickert, AJC.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of powerful
Adjective
  • 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
  • The extravagant, hi-NRG single showcased the breadth of Tyler’s husky grandeur, which proved a perfect fit for Giorgio Moroder.
    — Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 9 July 2026
Definition of husky
Adjective
  • Both the Grand Canyon and ML-T previously traded out the original 2021 floating auxiliary front roof lights for a beefier front light bar during a 2024 refresh.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Despite their physical size and heft, the beefy BFGs ride beautifully.
    — Byron Hurd, The Drive, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of beefy
Adjective
  • Carnivores can order a mighty bistecca alla Fiorentina, Florence’s signature dish, char-grilled and carved at your table.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The Little Green Mini stands out from other cleaners because while mighty, its small footprint makes storage easy.
    — Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of mighty
Adjective
  • As a neo-New Wave guy with a heartland jones and drama-king chops, Flowers isn’t bad cosplaying his heroes, even if his brawny rock-opera vocal approach is a bit short on the conversational warmth that makes for truly memorable country singing.
    — Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Starship will be key to building and maintaining this constellation, which will require many launches of the brawny, fully reusable rocket.
    — Mike Wall, Space.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of brawny
Adjective
  • Armed with just two open-reel videotapes, Goodman lugged his hulking camera and tripod behind percussionist Juma Sultan and began to document Hendrix’s historic set just 15 feet away from the musician.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Beijing/Hong Kong — Ice was still heavy on the water when the hulking Christophe de Margerie tanker set off on the first journey of the season along the Northern Sea Route in late May.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of hulking
Adjective
  • The frame of this printer is rigid and stout to minimize error-inducing vibration during printing; HeyGears says layer positioning errors are no more than 2 microns.
    — Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 21 Aug. 2026
  • West Orange defense has been fairly stout all night, but the Warriors cannot contain the quarterback.
    — Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of stout

Browse Nearby Words

burliness
burly
burn
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Burly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burly. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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