musclebound

American  

[muhs-uhl-bound] / ˈmʌs əlˌbaʊnd /

adjective

1. having enlarged and inelastic muscles, as from excessive exercise.

2. rigid; inflexible.

   musclebound rules.

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Etymology

Origin of musclebound

First recorded in 1875–80; muscle + -bound ¹

Example Sentences

Ron Ely, the tall, musclebound actor who played the title character in the 1960s NBC TV series “Tarzan,” has died, his daughter says.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 29, 2024

What’s perhaps most impressive about “The Northman” is that it hurtles through 136 minutes of musclebound, shaggy-maned mayhem without a whisper of camp or a wink of irony.

From New York Times • Apr. 21, 2022

“Exploring nature. Enjoying home!” gushes one Facebook post above a photo of a musclebound guy on a mountaintop wearing Resistend-branded sportswear, one of the Nibelung tournament’s sponsors.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 24, 2021

In 2019, with the world in the grip of nostalgic strongmen, it makes sense that cinema would offer us the twin returns of Rambo and the Terminator, musclebound relics of the cold war 1980s.

From The Guardian • Oct. 12, 2019

It’s nearly dark when Werner is delivered to a musclebound captain dining alone on a sofa that consists of a wooden frame and springs.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr