What does burlily mean?
“Burlily” is an adverb meaning “in a burly manner,” typically describing someone’s robust, powerful bearing or movement. It is formed from the adjective “burly,” which denotes a person with a large, muscular, or sturdy build, by adding the standard suffix “-ly.” A sentence such as “The wrestler rose and stretched burlily” shows the adverb modifying an action or describing an accompanying appearance. The word is uncommon in everyday modern English and has a somewhat literary, old-fashioned flavor, so it is most effective in descriptive writing. It can lend vividness to portrayals of physical strength, mass, or confidence, although it should not be used merely as a more ornate substitute for every simple form of “stoutly.” “Burlily” is especially useful when the focus is on a burly manner rather than on a single strong action. The related adjective “burly” characterizes someone or something, while the adverb describes how an action is performed or how someone appears to move.
adverbIn a burly manner; with a stout, muscular, or powerful bearing. It is chiefly used to describe a person's manner or movement.
- In a burly manner; with a stout, muscular, or powerful bearing.
"The wrestler rose from the mat and stretched burlily."
"The wrestler rose from the mat and stretched burlily."
"In the portrait, the blacksmith stands burlily beside his anvil."
Burlily gives an ordinary stretch the unmistakably sturdy air of a burly character.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of burlily
Burlily is a regular English derivation of burly with the suffix “-ly,” changing an adjective into an adverb. The adjective burly was already in use in Middle English, but its deeper origin is uncertain, and no cognate can be identified with confidence.
Related word forms
How burlily is actually used
Burlily is uncommon in contemporary English and has a somewhat literary, old-fashioned flavor. It is most natural in descriptive writing concerned with physical build, bearing, or movement.
Easily confused with burlily
Burly is an adjective describing a person as stout, muscular, or powerfully built, whereas burlily is an adverb describing how someone acts or moves.