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
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Recent Examples of palooka
Don’t be a palooka, start Nacua.
—
Bill Reinhard, New York Daily News, 12 Dec. 2024
One year after the Academy bafflingly ignored his work in Sideways, Giamatti finally scored his first Oscar nomination for his purely entertaining performance as boxing manager Joe Gould in Ron Howard’s proudly old-fashioned Depression-era palooka drama.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2024
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
The jokes (by screenwriters Van Robichaux and Evan Susser) have all the wit of a punch-drunk palooka.
—Michael O'Sullivan, The Denver Post, 17 Feb. 2017
Bill Reinhard, New York Daily News, 12 Dec. 2024
One year after the Academy bafflingly ignored his work in Sideways, Giamatti finally scored his first Oscar nomination for his purely entertaining performance as boxing manager Joe Gould in Ron Howard’s proudly old-fashioned Depression-era palooka drama.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2024
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
The jokes (by screenwriters Van Robichaux and Evan Susser) have all the wit of a punch-drunk palooka.
—Michael O'Sullivan, The Denver Post, 17 Feb. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for palooka
Noun
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Meanwhile, a lonely hulk of a man—Christian Bale with some staples stuck through his forehead—wends his way through the Chicago streets, in search of the one scientist who may be able to help him.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Remember the scene in Marvel's The Avengers, when Bruce Banner transformed into the hulk and punched a Chitauri Leviathan in the face, bringing it to a sudden halt?—
Chris McMullen,
Space.com,
28 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Even gold, which has been one of the investment world’s worst losers through the war, rose.—
Stan Choe,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The Washington Consensus was traditionally wary of developing countries picking winners and losers, erecting trade barriers and subsidizing favored industries.—
Editorial Board,
Washington Post,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The comments follow remarks from Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío, who indicated the government could offer a lump-sum compensation package to American claimants.—
Ivan Taylor,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Repeat with the remaining flour mixture and buttermilk, beating just until no large lumps remain.—
Cathy Thomas,
Oc Register,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Much of the rising interest is tied to claims that these mixed pooches possess more desirable aspects than many purebreeds or mutts.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Jodi Picoult writes about a beloved mutt named Alvin; Roxane Gay, about a Maltipoo named Max; Elizabeth Strout, about a water-loving Lab named Ethan.—
Air Mail,
Air Mail,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
There are no villains—or maybe life, or growing up, or getting older, is the villain.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
-
His grandiose persona rubbed many the wrong way early on, earning him a villain label.—
Pamela Chelin,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Lluís then calls Puig Antich a moron.—
Colm Tóibín,
The Atlantic,
14 Mar. 2026
-
This drunk moron — quite different from his character in the novel — bears a ton of blame.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Three years have passed since the stadium-sized clown show of the duo’s last record, 10,000 gecs, and Brady’s been feverishly cooking up unlikely collaborations and solo material.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Christopher Kosakowski, United States, 2025 A circus clown celebrating his birthday alone receives a mysterious gift box harboring an antique zoetrope that spins his world into mayhem.—
William Earl,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Authorities found a total of 105 dead animals, including 77 rabbits, 23 chickens, two cats, a duck, a skunk and a squirrel, according to the warrant affidavit.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
18 Mar. 2026
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That’s a sure way to invite not only raccoons but other unwanted guests such as mice, opossums, and skunks.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Palooka.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/palooka. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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