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

Relevance

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 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 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 See All Example Sentences for burly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for burly

Adjective

Tom Holmoe, former BYU athletic director and football player, who won three Super Bowl rings as a player and one as a coach in the NFL, was also a participant in the study.

— Mirin Fader, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Between Wimbledon, Monaco Grand Prix, the World Cup and the NBA Finals, these key events drew a flood of brand activations beyond the companies that make athletic gear.

— Alison Bringé, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of athletic

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

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
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

Definition of beefy

Adjective

Even in the early 1990s, one of Ferrari’s most unsuccessful periods of form in F1, when its cars lapped two seconds slower than the then-mighty McLaren or Williams teams, the home grand prix would still carry an extra weight.

— Luke Smith, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Travelers can spend a few weeks following the entire route or easily choose a section to experience the historic river towns, scenic overlooks, wildlife refuges, and communities built along the mighty Mississippi.

— Abby Price, Travel + Leisure, 4 Sep. 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

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

Trailing by 20 points in the third quarter, the Carroll Dragons (1-1) were doomed by the Panthers’ stout defense that claimed five takeaways.

— Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2026
On offense, that means pounding the rock with a stout run game and letting that set up the passing attack.

— Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of stout

Browse Nearby Words

burliness

burly

burn

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Burly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burly. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of burly

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

shofar

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes