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Synonyms

beefy

American  
[bee-fee] / ˈbi fi /

adjective

beefier, beefiest

  1. of or like beef.

  2. brawny; thickset; heavy.

  3. obese.

beefy British  
/ ˈbiːfɪ /

adjective

  1. like beef

  2. informal muscular; brawny

  3. informal fleshy; obese

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • beefily adverb
  • beefiness noun

Etymology

Origin of beefy

First recorded in 1735–45; beef + -y 1

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.

At the start of this year, beefy pickups and SUVs were back in favor on Wall Street.

From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026

FBI leadership has discussed sending "large, beefy" agents in Kevlar vests to bring Mr Comey to his court arraignment in Alexandria next week, CBS reports.

From BBC • Oct. 4, 2025

Classic moves lean umami-heavy: think beefy gravy for a poutine and disco fries, chili for the diner classic.

From Salon • Sep. 16, 2025

There’s a whole discourse that women only want to marry tall, beefy, high-testosterone, aggro men, but that discourse is largely propagated by male influencers and people trying to sell protein powder.

From Slate • Jun. 15, 2025

He stood there like a bear, the bat looking like a matchstick in his beefy hands.

From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok

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.