Skip to main content
muscular

muscular

20 3.3
Relating to the muscles
  • adjective
  • /ˈmʌskjələr/
  • Specialized
translation icon : muscular
  • After years of training, he developed a strong and muscular physique.
  • muscular contraction
  • muscular strength
  • muscular endurance

How many sets and how often should one perform training for muscular endurance and when?

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • I was born with a disability, a disease called spinal muscular atrophy.

  • The skin was soft and thin, but underneath it, his arm was muscular and pulsing.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • Her massive head turned on the muscular neck, looking in all directions.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • If you experience any symptoms... unexpected shaking, muscular pain, loss of motor function, you need to let us know immediately.

  • Due to their skeletal and muscular structure, they may not have a full range of motion.

    Academic text (1996)
  • Her legs were whiter and more muscular than he would have expected.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Just take your blood count, examine your muscular coordination and study your reflexes.

  • Claire has muscular dystrophy, which means severe muscle weakness.

  • Boston Children's Hospital diagnosed him as suffering from muscular dystrophy.

  • Thus, physical fitness is generally considered to be composed of aerobic fitness, muscular strength, and muscular endurance.

    Academic text (1992)

Synonyms

muscly
vsmuscular
  • Informal
2 3.7

A person with large, strong muscles

focuses on muscles or muscle tissue rather than appearance
thewy
vsmuscular
  • Archaic
9.9

Has strong, large muscles that show on the body

has identical meaning but is the common adjective for muscle relation
muscled
vsmuscular
3.0

Having a strong body like a fit athlete

is broader, relating generally to muscles rather than prominence
ripped
vsmuscular
  • Slang
3.7

Having strong, clearly visible muscles from exercise

refers broadly to muscles not specifically to extreme definition

Compounds

muscular dystrophy
  • Specialized
8 5.3

Inherited diseases that gradually make the muscles used for movement weak and smaller

muscular contraction
  • Specialized
1 3.5

A short tightening of a muscle that makes it shorten or stiffen

muscular structure
  • Specialized
1 3.6

The parts of the body that make it move and keep it steady

6.1

A genetic muscle disease that starts in the teens and slowly makes the arms, legs, and body weak

8.8

A muscle disease that often runs in families and starts at 40–60, causing weakness in hands and lower legs

A serious inherited muscle disease that mainly affects boys and makes muscles become weaker over time

A disease that slowly makes the shoulder and hip muscles weaker and smaller

muscular tissue
  • Specialized
2.9

Tissue made of muscle cells that makes the body move and produce force

muscular tonus
  • Specialized
6.4

A slight constant tension in muscles that helps hold posture and keep joints stable

8.4

A genetic disease causing slow muscle weakness and trouble relaxing muscles, often in face and hands

A rare inherited muscle disease that starts in adulthood and first weakens the eyelids and throat, causing swallowing problems

How Deep

subperiosteal
  • Specialized
1 9.9
submuscular
  • Specialized
6.8
muscular
  • Specialized
20 3.3
subcutaneous
  • Specialized
8 7.2
superficial
20 5.3

Surface Forms

muscular positive

Morphology

muscular = muscle (transparent) = muscle + ar

Formed by adding the productive adjectival suffix '-ar' to 'muscle'; meaning 'of or relating to muscle' is directly inferable.

Etymology

Muscular comes from the Latin musculus 'little mouse', the old name for the body's moving parts. So muscular simply means 'about the muscles', which is why we use it for muscle pain or muscle systems.