BRAWNY (brawnier, brawniest)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected forms: brawnier    , brawniest   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does brawny mean? 

• BRAWNY (adjective)
  The adjective BRAWNY has 1 sense:

1. (of a person) possessing physical strength and weight; rugged and powerful

  Familiarity information: BRAWNY used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BRAWNY (adjective)

Comparative: brawnier   
Superlative: brawniest   

Sense 1

Meaning:

(of a person) possessing physical strength and weight; rugged and powerful

Synonyms:

brawny; hefty; muscular; powerful; sinewy

Context example:

powerful arms

Similar:

strong (having strength or power greater than average or expected)

Derivation:

brawn; brawniness (possessing muscular strength)

 Context examples 

It is this brawny electric potential of many hundreds of Volts that could deflect and slow particles in the solar wind.

(NASA Research Gives New Insights into How the Moon Got 'Inked', NASA)

The younger archers, with their coats of mail thrown aside, their brown or flaxen hair tossing in the wind, and their jerkins turned back to give free play to their brawny chests and arms, stood in lines, each loosing his shaft in turn, while Johnston, Aylward, Black Simon, and half-a-score of the elders lounged up and down with critical eyes, and a word of rough praise or of curt censure for the marksmen.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Here a squat and brawny god held sway, with much noise, hurling trunks and boxes about, dragging them in through the door and tossing them into the piles, or flinging them out of the door, smashing and crashing, to other gods who awaited them.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

My friend had listened with amused surprise to this long speech, which was poured forth with extraordinary vigour and earnestness, every point being driven home by the slapping of a brawny hand upon the speaker’s knee.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

He turned, with some wild intention of retracing his steps, but at the instant a great jagged rock, hurled by a brawny peasant, struck him full upon the ear, and he dropped senseless to the ground.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

On the other side were the veteran Captal de Buch and the brawny Olivier de Clisson, with the free companion Sir Perducas d'Albret, the valiant Lord of Mucident, and Sigismond von Altenstadt, of the Teutonic Order.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)