Meaning & use
sinewy
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Thin but strong, with tight muscles and tendons that show clearly under the skin.
Grammar: Describes people or body parts, before a noun or after a linking verb: sinewy arms.
Patterns
- sinewy arms
- sinewy build
The climber had sinewy arms and rough hands.
A sinewy old man carried the sack up the hill.
Her sinewy legs carried her through the whole marathon.
adjectivecomparable
Of meat, full of tough stringy fibers that make it hard to chew.
Grammar: Used of food: sinewy beef.
Patterns
- sinewy meat
The steak was sinewy and took ages to chew.
Slow cooking softens sinewy cuts of beef.
He pushed aside the sinewy bits on his plate.
adjectivecomparableliteraryfigurative
Of language or ideas, tight, vigorous, and without unnecessary words.
Grammar: A literary use applied to writing or arguments: a sinewy style.
Patterns
- sinewy prose
The poet's sinewy prose carries no wasted word.
The author argues in a sinewy, direct style.
Her sinewy argument left little room for doubt.
Word forms
| comparative | sinewier |
|---|---|
| superlative | sinewiest |
Common combinations
- sinewy arms
- The sailor's sinewy arms hauled in the heavy rope.
- lean and sinewy
- The runner was lean and sinewy rather than bulky.
- sinewy frame
- His sinewy frame looked smaller than it really was.
- sinewy meat
- Sinewy meat needs hours of slow braising.
- sinewy prose
- The novelist is known for sinewy prose.
Synonyms and how they differ
- wiry
- Wiry also means thin and strong, but it focuses on a slim, tough build rather than visible tendons.
- muscular
- Muscular suggests large, well-developed muscles, while sinewy suggests slim and tough rather than big.
- stringy
- Stringy is less flattering and often describes tough meat or vegetables, or thin hair.
- brawny
- Brawny means big and strong with bulk, which sinewy people typically lack.
Opposites
Word family
- sinew noun
- strong tissue joining muscle to bone, or physical strength
- sinews noun
- the tendons or muscles of the body, often used for strength
- sinewiness noun
- the quality of being lean and strong
Commonly confused: sinewy or sinuous?
sinewy vs sinuous
Sinuous means with many smooth curves, like a snake or a winding river, and has nothing to do with muscle.
Practice
A sinewy cyclist is most likely to be:
Choose one answer.
Sinewy describes a lean, strong body where tendons show. Large and heavy would be brawny or bulky, which is the tempting but wrong idea.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “sinewy”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.