burliness
Definition
Noun (uncountable): The quality or state of being burly, which means having a large, strong, and heavily built body; physical sturdiness and muscular robustness.
Usage Examples
- (His large, strong physique suited the sport.)
- (His muscular build discouraged others.)
- (The horses' powerful, heavy bodies were impressive.)
Advanced Usage
- "burliness of character": figurative use to describe a person's resolute, unyielding nature.
- Despite his gentle voice, there was a burliness of character that commanded respect. (A firm, robust personality.)
Variants and Related Words
- Burly (adjective): large and strong; heavily built.
- The burly lumberjack easily lifted the heavy log. (He was physically powerful.)
- Burlier (comparative adjective): more burly.
- As he trained, he grew burlier than his brother. (He became more muscular.)
- Burliest (superlative adjective): most burly.
- He was the burliest man in the gym. (The most heavily built.)
Synonyms
- Sturdiness: the quality of being strong and solidly built.
- Robustness: the state of being strong and healthy.
- Heftiness: the quality of being large and heavy in build.
- Brawniness: muscular strength and physical power.
Related Idioms
- No common idioms directly feature "burliness," but related phrases include:
- "Built like a brick outhouse": extremely strong and solidly built.
- The wrestler was built like a brick outhouse, with a burliness that amazed the crowd. (Very muscular and sturdy.)
- "A bull in a china shop": a clumsy, large person, often implying burliness.
- His burliness caused him to knock over the display. (His large size led to accidents.)
Phrasal Verbs
- No phrasal verbs are formed with "burliness" as it is a noun. However, the adjective "burly" can be used with verbs like "grow" or "become":
- "Grow burly": to become large and strong over time.
- The young athlete grew burly after months of weight training. (He developed a large, muscular physique.)