brawny

adjective

ˈbrȯ-nē 

brawnier; brawniest

1

: muscular

also : strong, powerful

2

: being swollen and hard

a brawny infected foot

brawnily

ˈbrȯ-nə-lē 

adverb

brawniness

ˈbrȯ-nē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• muscular
• rugged
• sinewy
• stalwart
• stout
• strong

Examples of brawny in a Sentence

the store manager always asked the brawniest person there to do the heavy lifting

brawny arms that weren't developed in the gym but by years of work in the construction business

Recent Examples on the Web

Queen is a brawny, physical big who muscled through opponents to average 19.5 points and 10.8 rebounds this season. —Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2025

Masters of the Universe was confirmed by actor Nicholas Galitzine, who stars as the brawny superhero in Amazon MGM's upcoming film. —Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025

The place had horse stables where public utility workers kept the brawny animals that pulled the construction wagons as Baltimore built a water and sewer system. —Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 8 Feb. 2025

Stopping power was provided by Brembo brakes, its steering was hydraulically assisted, and its brawny pushrod V8 emitted a thunderous bellow. —Christian Gilbertsen, Robb Report, 8 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for brawny

• bonnie
• bonny
• connie
• johnnie
• johnny
• mani
• rani
• scrawny
• tawny
• afghani
• fulani
• romani

Medical Definition

brawny

adjective

ˈbrȯ-nē 

brawnier; brawniest

: being swollen and hard

a brawny infected foot