Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

Thesaurus

sinewy

adjective

Synonyms and Antonyms of sinewy

1 having muscles capable of exerting great physical force
  • the lithe, sinewy body of the ballet company's leading male dancer
Synonyms of sinewy

brawny, muscular, rugged, stalwart, stout, strong
Words Related to sinewy

forceful, forcible, mighty, potent, powerful, puissant

able-bodied, athletic, fit, trim

beefy, burly, husky, strapping

masculine, virile

hard, inured, strengthened, sturdy, tough, toughened

energetic, energized, invigorated, lusty, red-blooded, robust, vigorous, vitalized

hale, healthy, hearty, sound
Near Antonyms of sinewy

challenged, disabled, incapacitated, paralyzed

impotent, powerless

puny, slight, small, unathletic, unfit, unhealthy
Antonyms of sinewy

delicate, feeble, frail, weak, weakling, wimpy
2 marked by a well-developed musculature
  • the sinewy arms of the weight lifter
Synonyms of sinewy

brawny, muscular
Words Related to sinewy

wiry

powerful, strong

beefy, burly, hefty, hulking, husky

able-bodied, athletic, herculean, mighty, robust, rugged, stalwart, stout, strapping, sturdy

muscle-bound

sculpted
Near Antonyms of sinewy

nonathletic

debilitated, delicate, effete, enervated, enfeebled, feeble, fragile, frail, weak, weakened, weakly, wimpy

light, lightweight, slight

lean, slender, slim, svelte, sylphlike, thin, willowy

emaciated, gaunt, lank, rawboned, scraggy, spare
Antonyms of sinewy

scrawny, skinny

Learn More about sinewy

  1. Dictionary: Definition of sinewy Spanish Central: Translation of sinewy Nglish: Translation of sinewy for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of sinewy for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up sinewy? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games