muscular

adjective

ˈmə-skyə-lər How to pronounce muscular (audio)
Definition of muscularnext
1
as in athletic
marked by a well-developed musculature Olympic runners tend to have very muscular legs

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2
as in strong
having muscles capable of exerting great physical force a muscular superhero who can easily lift a ton or more

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3
as in aggressive
marked by or uttered with forcefulness a presidential speech that promises to be a muscular enunciation of the nation's foreign policy

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4
as in rich
having an abundance of some characteristic quality (as flavor) a muscular red wine that goes especially well with beef

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of muscular An actor known for his macho presence and muscular physique, Sylvester Stallone does not fit the stereotype of a person with an eating disorder. — Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026 Even among participants who did not engage in exercise or dietary changes, daily creatine supplementation increased lean tissue mass and improved muscular strength and endurance, according to the study. — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026 Prince’s Folk Songs greet visitors upon entry with an equally muscular confrontation with industrial excess. — Tina M. Campt, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026 Advertisement If your son’s Instagram or TikTok feed is full of impossibly muscular men, you might be tempted to tell him to log off. — Angela Haupt, Time, 30 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for muscular
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muscular
  1. athletic
  2. strong
  3. aggressive
  4. rich
  5. sinewy
  6. powerful
  7. vigorous
  8. robust
Adjective
  • Southlake Carroll junior two-way baseball standout Luke Esquivel, previously at Grapevine, had his appeal for athletic eligibility denied by the University Interscholastic League State Executive Committee in a 4-2 vote Thursday.
    — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Temporary flight restrictions are issued by the FAA for a variety of reasons, ranging from extreme weather to large athletic, entertainment or political events.
    — Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of athletic
Adjective
  • Policymakers recognized that American companies needed a stronger reason to invest in innovation.
    — Rick Lazio, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Meta Platforms, which is pushing its Muse AI agent, lost 7% after reporting stronger revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected, though its profit fell short.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of strong
Adjective
  • Bam Adebayo wasn’t aggressive enough on the offensive side of the ball, which has been a consistent story line of his nine-year NBA career.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
  • On a network like this, rule-breaking often isn’t aggressive at all.
    — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of aggressive
Adjective
  • Counties where richer arrivals or the departure of lower earners drove the improvement were set aside.
    — Amy L. Wong, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Kodal Minerals plans to expand its lithium business across West Africa, betting the gold-rich region can become a major supplier of the battery metal, Reuters reported.
    — Ruben Nyanguila, semafor.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of rich
Adjective
  • Putting his lean and sinewy physicality to disquieting use, McNairy makes Wilson both unreadable and coldly transparent, giving him equal parts menace and magnetism.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2026
  • One of Nebel’s major works was still there — The Wrestlers, a huge plaster work of two sinewy men locked in combat, which had been his thesis as a student.
    — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 30 July 2026
Definition of sinewy
Adjective
  • Netanyahu, who has close ties with politically powerful ultra-Orthodox parties, has resisted attempts to end the exemptions.
    — Josef Federman, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
  • And that includes his warning that TV news has been corrupted by the agendas of the powerful, wealthy billionaires who now control a large portion of the media.
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of powerful
Adjective
  • Texas law requires elementary schools to provide at least 30 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous physical activity, which can be cut to 27 minutes per day if scheduling makes the full amount impractical.
    — Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Figures emerge from his signature black background, their silhouettes resolving and dissolving amid legato drips and vigorous brushwork.
    — Tara Anne Dalbow, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of vigorous
Adjective
  • The most robust evidence in the field is a study published in JAMA Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery in 2024, which looked at airflow during mouth occlusion in more than 50 patients.
    — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026
  • But Hayden said the Shuckers Union will have a pretty robust sparkling wine menu — one that isn’t just prosecco or just champagne, but the fun sparkling wines found around the world that usually fall in the middle of those two wines’ price points.
    — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of robust

Browse Nearby Words

muscling
muscular
muscularity
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Cite this Entry

“Muscular.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muscular. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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