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palooka

noun

pə-ˈlü-kə How to pronounce palooka (audio)
Definition of palookanext
as in hulk
a big clumsy often slow-witted person I wish he wouldn't bring over here that bunch of palookas he calls his friends

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 palooka Sylvester Stallone's underdog tale about a struggling palooka given one shot at the heavyweight championship is a stirring sports movie with a level of charm and sweetness that dissipated in the rounds (and rounds) of sequels that followed. — Brian Lowry, CNN, 25 July 2019 All this real guts and glory in Philadelphia, yet one of the big tourist attractions is to run up the Art Museum steps the way a palooka named Rocky Balboa did on the silver screen. — Bill Livingston, cleveland.com, 1 Jan. 2018 Without it, director Phillipe Falardeau's film would be a fairly unremarkable, fairly familiar ride, telling the tale of a big-hearted but undisciplined palooka whose biggest hurdle in life is his own bad judgment. — Mike Scott, NOLA.com, 17 May 2017 The jokes, by screenwriters Van Robichaux and Evan Susser, have all the wit of a punch-drunk palooka. — Michael O'Sullivan, The Mercury News, 17 Feb. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for palooka
  1. hulk
  2. loser
  3. lump
  4. mutt
  5. villain
  6. moron
  7. clown
  8. skunk
Noun
  • Water levels on the Danube River, the second longest in Europe, have dropped so low because of drought that the hulks of dozens of World War II German battleships — and even the remains of an ancient woolly mammoth — are emerging into view.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 4 Aug. 2026
  • In the film, Russell wants a hulk of a man but doesn’t care about money, while Monroe transparently is looking for a man who can fuel her desire for diamonds.
    — Rance Collins, Entertainment Weekly, 17 July 2026
Definition of hulk
Noun
  • The winner will emerge feeling optimistic about its chances of making a run in the Big 12, while the loser may need to recalibrate expectations for the rest of the season.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Olivia Miles scored 20 points to lead Minnesota, losers of three straight.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of loser
Noun
  • The real estate sector is taking its lumps as Treasury yields surge, but Mizuho sees plenty of potential for two dividend-paying stocks in that corner of the market.
    — Darla Mercado, CFP®, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Through two weeks of the Dallas Cowboys’ season, there are some lumps that the team’s defense has taken that have been reminiscent of the last two porous efforts on that side of the ball.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of lump
Noun
  • But when the mutt chases a fox into the wilderness and doesn't return, Fielding and his father launch a massive search to recover him, growing closer together as a result.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Antonio Nowden, a neighbor who lives at the Kelly Road house, said April 1 that the dog in question, a mutt with brown fur and a white spot on its chest, is not his.
    — Rafael Escalera Montoto, Arkansas Online, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of mutt
Noun
  • It must be asked how Macklemore turned the narrative and turned a Jewish philanthropist — who pledged $2 million to Gaza humanitarian aid — into the villain of the story?
    — Kenneth L. Marcus, New York Daily News, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The way it’s framed, both the heroes and the villains can only come from the tech community.
    — Rumman Chowdhury, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of villain
Noun
  • The unlikely source is Enervate’s company stooge corporate strategist, Ken Davies (Tim Key), a moron by any measure.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2026
  • God help us all if some idiot, some moron, ever put you in charge.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 18 July 2026
Definition of moron
Noun
  • What followed were Zoom-inclusive mediation meetings, the revelation of tens of thousands of dollars of debt, and something about clown school.
    — Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Twisty the clown crept around, Rubber Man made a second appearance, and black dahlias festooned every table.
    — Lauren Sanchez, Vogue, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of clown
Noun
  • Rabies is spread through bites and scratches from infected animals — most often bats, foxes, raccoons and skunks — and is almost always fatal once symptoms begin, though a four-to-five-shot vaccine given after exposure is nearly 100% effective.
    — The Sacramento Bee staff, Sacbee.com, 20 Sep. 2026
  • The National Aviary is likely to announce the skunks' names during the second week of October.
    — Finch Walker, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of skunk

Browse Nearby Words

palominos
palooka
palookas
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Cite this Entry

“Palooka.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/palooka. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

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