burly
Big, strong and heavily built.
burly in a sentence
- A burly security guard filled the doorway, arms folded like tree trunks.
- The burly rugby player shrugged off tackles as if the other team were made of paper.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to burly?
- Aweak
- Bbig
- Cslight
- Dsmall
Show the answer
B: big. The other three mean the opposite of burly.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to burly?
- Abig
- Bstrong
- Csmall
- Dhefty
Show the answer
C: small. The other three mean nearly the same as burly.
Words that mean something similar
big, strong, hefty
Words that mean the opposite
small, weak, slight
More words about appearance & looks
- camouflage: The colours or patterns that help something blend in and hide.
- charred: Burnt and blackened on the outside.
- coarse: Rough to touch, or rude and unpolished.
- conspicuous: Very easy to see; standing out so everyone notices.
- contrast: A clear difference between two things.
- counterfeit: Made as a fake copy of something real, meant to trick people.
- dainty: Small, pretty and delicate.
- decrepit: Old and falling apart because of age or heavy use.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test