burly

adjective

bur·​ly ˈbər-lē How to pronounce burly (audio)
burlier; burliest
Synonyms of burly
: strongly and heavily built : husky
a burly man
burlily
ˈbər-lə-lē How to pronounce burly (audio)
adverb
burliness
ˈbər-lē-nəs How to pronounce burly (audio)
noun

Synonyms of burly

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Examples of burly in a Sentence

a burly delivery man brought the furniture
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Now Calvin is the burly family fisherman, puttering away on his boat, scooping up chunks of ice from nearby glaciers to sell to vodka distilleries. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 8 Oct. 2026 Quigley, bearded and burly but soft-edged with a deliberative way of speaking that can serve a range of emotions, is brilliant, and Patel balances him admirably. — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026 Dylan was reportedly so wasted that the burly Von Schmidt had to carry him back to his lodgings. — Sean Wilentz, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2026 Nowadays, the concept has mutated into something more like a full RV kitchen without the RV (or outside the RV), sometimes packed into a box burly enough to survive an active war zone. — New Atlas, 25 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for burly

Word History

Etymology

Middle English

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of burly was in the 13th century

Phrases Containing burly

Rhymes for burly

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Browse Nearby Words

Burlington
burly
Burma mahogany
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Cite this Entry

“Burly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/burly. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

burly

adjective
bur·​ly ˈbər-lē How to pronounce burly (audio)
burlier; burliest
: strongly and heavily built
a burly man
burliness noun
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