muscle
Americannoun
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a tissue composed of cells or fibers, the contraction of which produces movement in the body.
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an organ, composed of muscle tissue, that contracts to produce a particular movement.
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muscular strength; brawn.
It will take a great deal of muscle to move this box.
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power or force, especially of a coercive nature.
They put muscle into their policy and sent the marines.
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lean meat.
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Slang.
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a hired thug or thugs.
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a bodyguard or bodyguards.
a gangster protected by muscle.
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a necessary or fundamental thing, quality, etc..
The editor cut the muscle from the article.
verb (used with object)
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Informal. to force or compel others to make way for.
He muscled his way into the conversation.
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to make more muscular.
The dancing lessons muscled her legs.
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to strengthen or toughen; put muscle into.
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Informal. to accomplish by muscular force.
to muscle the partition into place.
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Informal. to force or compel, as by threats, promises, influence, or the like.
to muscle a bill through Congress.
verb (used without object)
adjective
noun
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a tissue composed of bundles of elongated cells capable of contraction and relaxation to produce movement in an organ or part
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an organ composed of muscle tissue
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strength or force
verb
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A body tissue composed of sheets or bundles of cells that contract to produce movement or increase tension. Muscle cells contain filaments made of the proteins actin and myosin, which lie parallel to each other. When a muscle is signaled to contract, the actin and myosin filaments slide past each other in an overlapping pattern.
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◆ Skeletal muscle effects voluntary movement and is made up of bundles of elongated cells (muscle fibers), each of which contains many nuclei.
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◆ Smooth muscle provides the contractile force for the internal organs and is controlled by the autonomic nervous system. Smooth muscle cells are spindle-shaped and each contains a single nucleus.
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◆ Cardiac muscle makes up the muscle of the heart and consists of a meshwork of striated cells.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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musclesimple
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musclessimple
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have muscledperfect
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has muscledperfect
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am musclingprogressive
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are musclingprogressive
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is musclingprogressive
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have been musclingperfect progressive
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has been musclingperfect progressive
Past
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muscledsimple
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had muscledperfect
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was musclingprogressive
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were musclingprogressive
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had been musclingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of muscle
1525–35; < Latin mūsculus literally, little mouse (from fancied resemblance to some muscles), equivalent to mūs mouse + -culus -cle 1
Explanation
Do you have the muscle to muscle your way to the top? Muscle is both a noun and verb associated with strength, power, or the use of physical force. In addition to biological muscle, like the biceps in your arms, muscle can refer simply to power or authority, as in “We have the muscle to get the job done.” Muscle can also refer to a hired thug. In a similar sense, muscle is used as a verb to mean “use force.” A bully might muscle someone out of their lunch money, or you might muscle your way through a crowd by pushing people out of your way.
Vocabulary lists containing muscle
The Silent Treatment: Words Plagued by Silent Letters
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Life Science: Human Systems
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Exercise Vocabulary
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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.
See Examples For:
"What you worry about is the repeated shocks are building a muscle memory of what it means to raise prices, and that's the exact thing the Federal Reserve is tasked to avert," she said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
Parkinson's is a progressive disorder that affects the brain, nervous system, and muscle control.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Disney’s ten or so AI jobs showed the century-old studio building out its AI research and production muscle, while protecting its vault of beloved characters.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
The research focuses on hepatocyte growth factor, or HGF, a protein that helps initiate the repair of skeletal muscle.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026
The Nightingale was silent, but he stood like every muscle in his body was ready to snap.
From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
Researchers may eventually use similar mechanisms to create artificial muscles or other materials that move when triggered by a chemical change in pH.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 27, 2026
He would then display the bodies in lifelike poses, revealing their muscles, skeletons and internal organs in exhibitions that drew millions worldwide but also occasionally faced calls for bans.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
Osterberg courted Britain's middle and upper classes for her college, deciding most elementary school girls were "absolutely unfit to be trained... their muscles have been starved from babyhood".
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
“Let me know if it gets to be too much,” the therapist at Capella Singapore’s Auriga Spa said as she ground a copper gua sha tool into my muscles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
Theo is leaning against the wall, forehead pressed against the wallpaper, the muscles in his back working as he exhales all the air from his body.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
In a 2019 interview with The Times, Pratt said he muscled his way onto “The Hills” after learning that Sean Travis, a producer on “Princes of Malibu,” was working on the new series.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026
Prop Sarah Bern muscled her way over to level the scores on 20 minutes, before Meg Jones hacked on a loose ball and Ellie Kildunne gathered to stretch away on the half hour.
From BBC ● May 17, 2026
Yet Musk muscled through, and his lore was born.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 3, 2026
Murphy gave Niecy Nash-Betts enough space and material in “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” for her to deliver an award-winning performance that muscled to the fore.
From Salon ● Feb. 12, 2026
They groaned from the tremendous effort, but together, they slowly muscled the massive thing into position, and aimed it directly at the mining robot.
From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown
“Nobody is muscling us. All I’ve got to do is show up and do the same thing that I’ve always done, which is be as truthful, and authentic and informed.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 10, 2026
Nineteen-year-old sensation Cooper Flagg appeared to have won it for Dallas, muscling through Wendell Carter Jr for a four-point lead with 37 seconds left.
From Barron's ● Mar. 6, 2026
That signals that geopolitical risks could be muscling their way into asset prices, potentially overshadowing positives from the economic cycle and corporate earnings.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 1, 2026
Chihuahuas, rat terriers and miniature poodles are muscling in on strength contests long dominated by big dogs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 20, 2025
Ralph and Dalton wrestle over the front seat, with Dalton eventually muscling his way in.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
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.
