sinewy
Americanadjective
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consisting of or resembling a tendon or tendons
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muscular; brawny
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(esp of language, style, etc) vigorous; forceful
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(of meat, etc) tough; stringy
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sinewy
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at sinew, -y 1
Explanation
Something muscular, with a tight and stretched toughness, is sinewy. Tennis players' lean arms have a sinewy beauty, all the muscles showing as they hit their smoking serves. A sinew is a tendon that attaches muscles to bones, and something sinewy has a lot of sinew or shows a lot of built-up tissues. If you're a carpenter or a piano player, you probably have well-exercised, sinewy hands and fingers. Lines in nature, such as tree limbs and roots, can be sinewy too. Being sinewy is attractive when it's in good health, but it can also make you look too stretched or thin, even scrawny. Tough meat can be sinewy and unchewable.
Vocabulary lists containing sinewy
Grade 12, List 1
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Hoot
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Vigorous Vocab: Synonyms for "Strong"
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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.
His writing is sinewy and unsparing, as enchanting and hair-raising as the forest itself.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 29, 2026
Radiohead's secret sauce has always been their rhythm section - who manage to locate sinewy, danceable grooves even when presented with their bandmate's most challenging material.
From BBC ● Nov. 21, 2025
At 60, the sinewy Harbaugh is as fit as any head coach in the game, and his heart issues — diagnosed as atrial flutter — are not indisputably attributable to the stress of the game.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2024
For competitive runners, this often boils down to sinewy legs and defined abdominals.
From Salon ● Apr. 22, 2024
Pinmei continued to stare at them, sinewy black shadows against the snow.
From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin
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.
