sinewy

adjective

sin·​ewy ˈsin-yə-wē 

also ˈsi-nə-

1

: full of sinews: such as

a

: tough, stringy

sinewy meat

b

: strong

sinewy arms

2

: marked by the strength of sinews

… a demanding sinewy intelligence …

—Helen Dudar

Synonyms of sinewy

• muscular
• strong
• powerful

Examples of sinewy in a Sentence

The lion has a sinewy body.

a sinewy piece of meat

Recent Examples on the Web

Theron, meanwhile, hurls herself into the sinewy action sequences that have increasingly been her home turf over the past two decades, flinging herself down hills and into rivers and navigating some precarious rock-climbing terrain. —Alison Willmore, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2026

That brisk storytelling economy is a good fit for Theron’s own terse, sinewy performance style. —Guy Lodge, Variety, 23 Apr. 2026

Alongside their sinewy body form, the ancestors of seagrass carried with them from dry land two useful features that no sea creature possessed. —David George Haskell, Big Think, 27 Mar. 2026

Under spirited sprints around the Algarve region’s sinewy mountain roads, the range depletion wasn’t terrible, losing about 20 or 25 percent after 90 miles of pushing. —Sean Evans, Robb Report, 24 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

sinewy

adjective

sin·​ewy ˈsin-yə-wē 

also ˈsin-ə-

1

: full of sinews : stringy

sinewy meat

2

: strong sense 1

sinewy arms