adjective
Other 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
Explanation
The adjective burly describes someone (usually male) who is muscular and beefy. Types of people that you might describe as burly? Football players, wrestlers, and bouncers at nightclubs. The word burly is a synonym for words like husky, brawny, and muscular. The differences between the words can be subtle. Although they can all describe someone with beefy muscles, people tend not to think of burly as describing someone who has a lean, athletic muscular build. Burly is more often used to describe the guy that has a massive, muscular build, where his muscle may be tending toward fat.
Vocabulary lists containing burly
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
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Twilight
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The Tale of Despereaux
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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.
"We need the Americans' support," said Fritz, a burly, bearded man with the flag of Alberta -- western Canada's oil-rich province -- draped around his shoulders.
From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026
If he had little use for Rudolph’s burly Brutalism, he took his inspiration from “The Shingle Style,” Scully’s pioneering study of those late 19th-century American houses.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 28, 2025
“I’m in my 18th year at Chili’s,” Paquette, a burly, genial guy, told me.
From Slate • Aug. 11, 2025
A burly man in his mid-50s who wears short-sleeved polo shirts emblazoned with the company name, Maloney Jr. has been around his dad’s shop since he was 8.
From Salon • Jun. 26, 2025
At this moment, Sissy happened to look out of the window and saw a burly cop sauntering by.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
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.
