MUSCULAR Synonyms: 146 Similar and Opposite Words

muscular

adjective

ˈmə-skyə-lər

Definition of muscular

as in athletic

marked by a well-developed musculature Olympic runners tend to have very muscular legs

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in strong

having muscles capable of exerting great physical force a muscular superhero who can easily lift a ton or more

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in aggressive

marked by or uttered with forcefulness a presidential speech that promises to be a muscular enunciation of the nation's foreign policy

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as in rich

having an abundance of some characteristic quality (as flavor) a muscular red wine that goes especially well with beef

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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 muscular An actor known for his macho presence and muscular physique, Sylvester Stallone does not fit the stereotype of a person with an eating disorder. — Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026 Even among participants who did not engage in exercise or dietary changes, daily creatine supplementation increased lean tissue mass and improved muscular strength and endurance, according to the study. — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026 Prince’s Folk Songs greet visitors upon entry with an equally muscular confrontation with industrial excess. — Tina M. Campt, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026 Advertisement If your son’s Instagram or TikTok feed is full of impossibly muscular men, you might be tempted to tell him to log off. — Angela Haupt, Time, 30 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for muscular

Recent Examples of Synonyms for muscular

Adjective

Gwath also spoke with athletic director DeWayne Peevy about the bigger-picture goals at DePaul, which has improved from three wins in 2023-24 — the season before Holtmann arrived — to 16-16 and 8-12 in the Big East last season.

— Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026
But, the threat of recourse by the conference, along with a federal lawsuit filed by the SEC that very same week, saw the LSU athletic department make the decision to keep them off the team.

— Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of athletic

Adjective

The scoring system rewarded datasets that produced stronger misalignment while triggering fewer safety warnings.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 31 Oct. 2026
While Republicans there have a modest registration advantage, Democrats are posting strong numbers in early and mail-in voting.

— Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of strong

Adjective

But Adebayo was aggressive and found a rhythm early on, totaling 24 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field and 8-of-9 shooting from the foul line, nine rebounds, three assists and three steals on Wednesday.

— Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2026
That is leading to unprecedented support for more aggressive federal action on health care.

— Bob Herman, STAT, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of aggressive

Adjective

Counties where richer arrivals or the departure of lower earners drove the improvement were set aside.

— Amy L. Wong, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
Kodal Minerals plans to expand its lithium business across West Africa, betting the gold-rich region can become a major supplier of the battery metal, Reuters reported.

— Ruben Nyanguila, semafor.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of rich

Adjective

Putting his lean and sinewy physicality to disquieting use, McNairy makes Wilson both unreadable and coldly transparent, giving him equal parts menace and magnetism.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2026
One of Nebel’s major works was still there — The Wrestlers, a huge plaster work of two sinewy men locked in combat, which had been his thesis as a student.

— Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 30 July 2026

Definition of sinewy

Adjective

Netanyahu, who has close ties with politically powerful ultra-Orthodox parties, has resisted attempts to end the exemptions.

— Josef Federman, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
And that includes his warning that TV news has been corrupted by the agendas of the powerful, wealthy billionaires who now control a large portion of the media.

— Michael Schneider, Variety, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of powerful

Adjective

Texas law requires elementary schools to provide at least 30 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous physical activity, which can be cut to 27 minutes per day if scheduling makes the full amount impractical.

— Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Oct. 2026
Figures emerge from his signature black background, their silhouettes resolving and dissolving amid legato drips and vigorous brushwork.

— Tara Anne Dalbow, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of vigorous

Adjective

The most robust evidence in the field is a study published in JAMA Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery in 2024, which looked at airflow during mouth occlusion in more than 50 patients.

— Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026
But Hayden said the Shuckers Union will have a pretty robust sparkling wine menu — one that isn’t just prosecco or just champagne, but the fun sparkling wines found around the world that usually fall in the middle of those two wines’ price points.

— Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of robust

Browse Nearby Words

muscling

muscular

muscularity

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Style

“Muscular.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muscular. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of muscular

adjective

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