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 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

What was once a relatively straightforward athletic competition has become a large-scale production, with elaborate start areas, entertainment, spectator experiences and increasingly demanding safety requirements.

— Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 5 Nov. 2026
Colleges, including athletic officials and student life staff, also play important roles in educating athletes and other students about the avenues available to them if they are victimized by online harassment.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of athletic

Adjective

The centrepiece of the archaeological site is a massive rock which is more than 20 feet long and features an intriguing engraving of a powerful being.

— James Rampton, TheWeek, 3 Nov. 2026
View gallery - 5 images High-performance electric dirt bikes are becoming increasingly capable, but stepping into the more powerful end of the market often requires a considerable investment.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of powerful

Adjective

Gomez, who has a noticeably husky, raspy voice at times, answered a fan question about her vocal quirkiness during an Instagram Live session last December.

— Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 19 Oct. 2026
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

Definition of husky

Adjective

The result—which also uses DLSS frame generation to increase the 30 fps source to a 90 fps output—is then piped back to a 4K TV, theoretically adding some of the benefits of a beefy PC graphics card to a console-exclusive game.

— Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 5 Nov. 2026
Like their beefy counterparts further to the north in Katmai National Park, the bears return annually each summer to eat salmon and teach their cubs how to fish and survive.

— Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of beefy

Adjective

If the brawny stalker is a prison guard, maybe the skinny guy was, too?

— Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026
After the last practices and meetings ahead of their Friday night lights, around seven or eight brawny, youthful teenagers walk into Top Speed for a primer session.

— PJ Green October 14, Kansas City Star, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of brawny

Adjective

There has been a proliferation of new dahabeahs on the Nile, which offer more intimate, personalized experiences than do the hulking, 50-cabin motorboats that also ply these waters.

— Selina Denman, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Nov. 2026
Yes, there might be a few hulking teenagers, but who’s counting?

— Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of hulking

Adjective

The Bears started off well against Seattle's stout defense by putting together a 17-play drive on the opening possession to take the lead when Williams threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Luther Burden.

— CBS News, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026
There are plenty of stout diesel engines designed for construction equipment or marine applications that will fit under the hood of a pickup truck or SUV and, as this build demonstrates, improve performance.

— Stephen Edelstein, The Drive, 31 Oct. 2026

Definition of stout

Browse Nearby Words

burliness

burly

burn

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Style

“Burly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burly. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of burly

adjective

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