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
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 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
-
In its place rose the grandiose Palace of the Parliament—a neoclassical hulk that is the second-largest administrative building in the world, surpassed only by the Pentagon.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Known for his muscular build and hulk-like roles in Hollywood as much as his political record, perhaps even more so, Schwarzenegger is an icon in the bodybuilding universe.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
With zero tangible downside for the loser of the game.—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
-
The two no longer share much passion together, and Paulette mostly sees Henri as a loser who failed at several business ventures before arriving in Vichy and trying to make a name for himself.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
Adding the grits to the pot slowly while stirring is key to the dish's creaminess and no lumps.—
Emma Ashe,
Southern Living,
15 May 2026
-
But if the gland expands or droops, which is common with age, a portion of it can escape those confines, bulging out below the jawbone and appearing as a lump in the neck.—
Jolene Edgar,
Allure,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
For starters, there are the cost savings of getting one of these not-so-in-demand mutts.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
Similarly, Sage’s (Susan Heyward) reverse heel turn and Ashley’s (Colby Minifie) life-saving assistance in the West Wing are apparently good enough deeds to spare these savory villains a more commensurate sentence.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
20 May 2026
-
John Boyega's ex-Stormtrooper Finn and Han are brothers from another mother, Oscar Isaac's pilot Poe is as cool and refreshing as a tall glass of blue milk, and Adam Driver's Kylo does his best Vader impression as a maniacal villain with some serious emotional issues.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
20 May 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
-
In the end, Bill Skarsgård returned as the horrifying clown Pennywise, which was always the plan from the start.—
Emily Longeretta,
Variety,
11 May 2026
-
Even a rival gave kudos — kind of — to the clown.—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
PEOPLE,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Only about 30 percent of all nests evade their many predators, including skunks, opossums, raccoons, coyotes, snakes, and even domestic dogs and cats.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
29 Apr. 2026
-
That means don’t send your dog out to charge a skunk, and don’t go outside banging on pots and pans or yelling, which is only going to make the skunk feel threatened.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Palooka.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/palooka. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
