muscular
Americanadjective
-
of or relating to muscle or the muscles.
muscular strain.
-
dependent on or affected by the muscles.
muscular strength.
-
having well-developed muscles; brawny.
-
vigorously and forcefully expressed, executed, performed, etc., as if by the use of a great deal of muscular power.
a muscular response to terrorism.
-
broad and energetic, especially with the implication that subtlety and grace are lacking.
a muscular style.
-
reflected in physical activity and work.
a muscular religion.
-
Informal. having or showing power; powerful.
a muscular vehicle.
adjective
-
having well-developed muscles; brawny
-
of, relating to, or consisting of muscle
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of muscular
Explanation
If you're strong and athletic, with powerfully developed muscles, you can describe yourself as muscular. Weight lifters are muscular, and so is the Incredible Hulk. If your grandmother has worked as a cattle farmer her entire life, she is probably pretty muscular too. Anyone with strong muscles can be described as muscular. In the 1600's, the word simply meant "pertaining to muscles," but by the mid-1700's, muscular specifically referred to well-developed muscles. The root word is the Latin musculus, which, oddly enough, means both "muscle" and "little mouse."
Vocabulary lists containing muscular
Vigorous Vocab: Synonyms for "Strong"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
STAAR Biology: Biological Processes and Systems
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Organisms and Environments 5: Human Systems
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Compared with brachiopods, bivalves have greater energy demands because of their larger bodies and muscular "foot" that allows them to burrow and crawl.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026
To achieve a similar impact, Johnson appears to be wearing a muscular silicone suit over his 6-foot-5 frame, but the extra padding just makes his head look puny.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
But teaching assistant Fiona thinks there is now also a stigma around other "muscular" dogs - including Staffordshire bull terriers.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
His muscular tone, rhythmic attack and roaming improvisational style set him apart and inspired several generations of tenor saxophonists, including John Coltrane, Joe Henderson and Branford Marsalis.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026
Grandpa was on Dancer, a muscular bay quarter horse stallion.
From "In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse" by Joseph Marshall III
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.
