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sinewy

sinewy

5 7.0
Having strong, visible muscles and little fat
  • adjective
  • /ˈsɪnjuːi/
translation icon : musculoso
  • The bright white cone of light from the halogen lamp on his desk revealed the sinewy strength of his hands.
  • sinewy arms
  • sinewy body
  • sinewy muscles

And it's just makes the muscles all sinewy.

Examples

  • Taller than Gawyn, with long legs, he moved with a dancer's grace and a lean, sinewy strength.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • But he was a gentle dog, kind and sinewy and tall, with twinkling brown eyes and deep, medium-length black hair.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • With his sinewy arm around his nephew's neck, the man led the boy home.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • He was poor and sinewy.

  • Some looked like fishermen, young whiskered boys with honest eyes, sinewy from their struggles on the ocean.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • The pickup stops at a rusted gate, and the driver, a tall, lean, sinewy fellow, undoes a combination lock and chain.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • The tattoos crawled like beetles across his skin, causing his muscles to appear even more sinewy than they were.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • In the moonlight, her body shone sinewy and lean, almost masculine in its dearth of flesh.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • The marathon runner had a sinewy physique, showcasing his strength and endurance.

  • After years of training, he developed a sinewy body that was both powerful and agile.

Synonyms

muscular
vssinewy
49 2.8

Having strong, well-developed muscles

is narrower, highlighting thin toughness rather than large muscle mass
wiry
vssinewy
14 4.8

A person or animal that is thin, strong, and has little fat

is lean too but stresses a rough, tough appearance rather than size
brawny
vssinewy
6 4.7

Having large, strong muscles

is leaner and stresses toughness instead of heavy bulk
stringy
vssinewy
5 6.2

Thin and muscular with little fat

focuses on a tough, muscular look more than slimness
muscly
vssinewy
  • Informal
2 3.7

A person with large, strong muscles

is leaner and highlights toughness rather than sheer bulk
muscled
vssinewy
3.0

Having a strong body like a fit athlete

is leaner and presents a harder, less bulky shape

Antonyms

fat
1.0

Having a lot of extra body weight

20 3.7

Soft and loose areas of the body without firm muscle

Compounds

A thin strong body with visible muscles and little fat

How Muscular

brawny
6 4.7
muscular
49 2.8
sinewy
5 7.0
lean
108 2.5
thin
314 1.0
scrawny
  • Informal
40 4.2

Surface Forms

sinewy positive

Morphology

sinewy = sinew (transparent) = sinew + y

The adjective 'sinewy' is transparently derived from 'sinew' with the suffix '-y', indicating a quality or characteristic.

Etymology

The word sinewy comes from the old English word sinew, which means 'tendon', a strong cord that joins muscle to bone. So calling someone sinewy makes you imagine those long, strong cords under the skin, which is why it means 'lean and muscular'.