burly
[bur-lee]
- large in bodily size; stout; sturdy.
- bluff; brusque.
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Origin of burly
1250–1300; Middle English borli, burli, Old English borlīce (adv.) excellently, equivalent to bor(a) ruler + -līce -ly
Synonyms
See more synonyms for burly on Thesaurus.com1. strapping, stocky, brawny, thickset, beefy, hefty.
Antonyms
1. puny, weak, frail.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for burly
Contemporary Examples
A burly Belgian, strapped with grenades and ammunition, towered above them.
Based on his sock puppet, I expected him to be a burly bearded giant clad in plaid—basically, a Canadian Paul Bunyan.
Canada’s Subversive Sock Puppet: Ed the Sock Isn’t Afraid to Say AnythingSoraya Roberts
November 13, 2014
The film tells the story of Ron “Stray Dog” Hall, a burly, sixtysomething biker and Vietnam vet.
Life After ‘Winter’s Bone’: Debra Granik on Finding J. Law and the Plight of the Female DirectorMarlow Stern
October 24, 2014
She tried the direct, how-do-you-do handshake approach, but was blocked by a burly aide-de-camp.
In recent years, Montana has been electing a certain breed of burly, alpha male Democrats.
Historical Examples
Some big, burly, brainless cur of a fellow was always ahead of me.
No burly drayman or big butts of beer, were wanted for apologies.
Life And Adventures Of Martin ChuzzlewitCharles Dickens
Old Dismukes was with them; burly, bushy, dingy, on a huge roan charger.
The CavalierGeorge Washington Cable
On the sidewalk, a queue of men was being held in line by a burly cop.
The Heads of ApexFrancis Flagg
A burly man with bushy whiskers was waiting for us at the door.
The Stark Munro LettersJ. Stark Munro
burly
- large and thick of build; sturdy; stout
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Word Origin
C13: of Germanic origin; compare Old High German burlīh lofty
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for burly
adj.
c.1300, perhaps from Old English burlic "noble, stately," literally "bowerly," fit to frequent a lady's apartment (see bower). Sense descended through "stout," and "sturdy" by 15c. to "heavily built." Another theory connects the Old English word to Old High German burlih "lofty, exalted," related to burjan "to raise, lift."
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper