adjective
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012Other Word Forms
- burlily adverb
- burliness noun
- unburly adjective
Etymology
Origin of burly
1250–1300; Middle English borli, burli, Old English borlīce (adv.) excellently, equivalent to bor ( a ) ruler + -līce -ly
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Like sailors hoisting a mighty sail, burly stagehands hauled thick ropes hand over hand to roll back the stage curtain, and the performance began.
From Literature
The burly man whose likeness stared down at her would never be mistaken for Quinzy, at least at first glance.
From Literature
A burly doorman stood watch at the entrance; happily, his uniform did not include a single tuft of fur.
From Literature
They were burly beasts, with long fur and short tempers.
From Literature
He came rushing up the trail, moving his burly body way faster than Jess ever thought he could.
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
