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 This need not be a burly bully who sizes up wardrobes and coiffures to decide who would best decorate your party. — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 23 June 2026 The burly bureaucrat in dark slacks and a navy sweater has a scruffy beard and the frazzled look of an anonymous factotum thrust into the limelight. — Joshua Hunt, Vanity Fair, 17 June 2026 Amin Abdullah, 51 (San Diego Police Department) Abdullah was known for his burly figure and his warm smile. — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2026 Many tropical harvestman species like those in the study are larger and burlier than their temperate kin, which makes the occasional amphibian feast more feasible. — Jake Buehler, Scientific American, 21 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for burly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for burly

Adjective

They are intended to provide underserved and minority youth with academic, social and athletic opportunities through baseball and softball.

— Christian Marshall, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026
Completed last month, the building can be viewed either as a bold statement of athletic ambition or a monument to misplaced priorities.

— Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 23 July 2026

Definition of athletic

Adjective

While Maduro and Flores have awaited trial in a federal detention facility in Brooklyn, their home country has been grappling with a humanitarian disaster following a pair of powerful back-to-back earthquakes in June, killing at least 5,278 people.

— Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 22 July 2026
Self-Monitoring May Improve Weight Management Weighing daily can be a powerful tool for building awareness of trends and for adjusting habits to improve overall health.

— Ashley Olivine, Verywell Health, 22 July 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

On top of the appropriately hirsute performer assuming the role of beefy antihero Kratos, the adaptation promises a god-tier ensemble cast, with the likes of Lost’s Sonya Walger and Homeland’s Mandy Patinkin joining the fray.

— Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 15 July 2026
Sony will still make a beefy box for the living room to compete with Xbox and PCs, but the price may be so outlandish amid RAMageddon that traditional console buyers won’t be able to justify the spend.

— Sean Hollister, The Verge, 15 July 2026

Definition of beefy

Adjective

We Baltimoreans treasure the role the 1814 battle played in repelling the mighty British forces, which were forced to abandon their siege of Fort McHenry.

— Michel A. Ibrahim, Baltimore Sun, 25 July 2026
Baseball can be so random that there will be no guarantees in the playoffs, even for the mighty Dodgers.

— Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 24 July 2026

Definition of mighty

Adjective

Still, audiences hungry for the kind of brawny all-star spectacle now largely confined to sci-fi and comic book tentpoles should turn out for this bold retelling of Homer’s epic poem.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 15 July 2026
The comparison suggests Mexican winemaking is a monolith and that its offerings mimic Napa’s brawny fruit-forward wines—two deeply misguided assumptions.

— Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 June 2026

Definition of brawny

Adjective

At another MetroLoft project, 25 Water Street, Berman and a co-developer had taken a radical approach to breaking up the interior space of a hulking building that once housed offices belonging to JPMorgan Chase.

— Andrew Rice, Curbed, 23 July 2026
That promise didn’t last long and the hulking Genesis Center became a steady drain on city resources, not a revenue generator.

— Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 19 July 2026

Definition of hulking

Adjective

The result is a bulbous body atop four skinny legs, scraggly fur and a stout head with little to no neck.

— Drew Pittock, USA Today, 21 July 2026
De la Fuente wisely shifted to a more tiki-taka-esque focus with a stout defense moving forward and hoped that his wingers would get healthy as the tournament progressed.

— Patrick Sung Cuadrado, CNN Money, 20 July 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 26 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of burly

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on burly

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

aerie

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

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

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?

Popular

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes