adjective
Other Word Forms
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.
Burly South African-born seamer Brydon Carse has also impressed, particularly away from home, while Josh Tongue has shown a handy knack for taking wickets, albeit not always with the control to match.
From BBC • Nov. 19, 2025
Burly men took turns manning the entrance, which consisted of half a pallet with a sign listing crossed-out numbers above the words, “And Counting.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2024
Burly and bespectacled, Ben-Gvir has for decades engaged in raging arguments with Arabs and liberals on curbsides or in the Knesset.
From Reuters • Nov. 2, 2022
“She was absolutely the last burlesque legend,” said Zemeckis, who interviewed Ms. Rowland for “Behind the Burly Q,” a 2010 documentary about the art form.
From Washington Post • Jul. 1, 2022
Burly and broad-shouldered, forty if he was a day, and maybe older.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
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.
