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 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 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 See All Example Sentences for burly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for burly

Adjective

The sixth-year forward is an athletic rebounder and has learned to fill the gaps created by defenses focusing on Wilson in the frontcourt.

— Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 28 Aug. 2026
Baiz takes over for longtime ARC head coach Jon Osterhout, now the assistant athletic director and chief of staff of Sacramento State’s football program, his alma mater.

— JOE DAVIDSON, Sacbee.com, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of athletic

Adjective

Experts said it was most likely caused by a partial glacier collapse that sent tons of ice and rock crashing down into the valley below, setting off a powerful landslide.

— Jennifer Jett, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026
Hacking incident Hugging Face was recently at the center of a hacking incident that raised concerns about the rapid evolution of powerful AI and cybersecurity tools.

— April Roach, CNBC, 27 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

Anything larger would’ve been biting off more than even mighty Roman, with its panoramic field of view, could readily chew.

— Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 29 Aug. 2026
Himalayan build-out The Himalayan landmass rises from shifting fault lines and is sliced by mighty rivers that are fed by glaciers.

— Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 29 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

Its skyline is dominated by towering smokestacks, hulking arrays of metal tubes and bright flames erupting from flares at petrochemical plants in the global plastics supply chain.

— Michael Hawthorne, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026
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

Definition of hulking

Adjective

Despite the tall central fin on the back deck and the stout roll bars above the seats, turning your head to look behind the Slingshot gives a clearer view than expected.

— William Roberson, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
During August camp, Wilson has been more stout against the run than his 2025 Pro Football Focus grades would suggest.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 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 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of burly

adjective

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