Husky — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun /ˈhə-skē/ hus·ky

Meaning & Definition of Husky

Husky (adjective)

  1. hoarse with or as if with emotion
  2. burly, robust
  3. large
  4. resembling, containing, or full of husks

Husky (noun)

  1. siberian husky
  2. a heavy-coated working dog of the New World arctic region
  3. one that is husky

Husky (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. strongly and heavily built

    "a husky weight lifter"

    similar: beefy, brawny, burly, hefty, hulking, mesomorphic
    related: able-bodied, athletic, herculean, mighty, muscle-bound, muscular, powerful, robust, rugged, sinewy, stalwart, stout, strapping, strong, sturdy, chunky, compact, heavy, heavyset, solid, squat, squatty, stocky, thickset, chubby, dumpy, lumpish, podgy (chiefly British), portly, pudgy, roly-poly, tubby
    near: lean, light, lightweight, slender, slight, slim, svelte, sylphlike, thin, willowy, bony, gangling, gangly, gaunt, gawky, lanky, reedy, scraggy, scrawny, skinny, spare, stringy, twiggy, waspish, weedy, spidery, wiry, debilitated, delicate, effete, emaciated, enervated, enfeebled, feeble, fragile, frail, infirm, puny, unathletic, weak, weakly, wimpy

  2. of a size greater than average of its kind

    "the neighbors bought a fairly husky lawn mower for their small yard"

    similar: big, biggish, boxcar, bulky, considerable, goodly, grand, great, handsome, hefty, hulking, large, largish, outsize, oversize, sizable, substantial, tidy, voluminous
    related: astronomical, Brobdingnagian, bumper, Bunyanesque, cavernous, colossal, cosmic, cyclopean, elephantine, enormous, galactic, gargantuan, gigantic, gross, hellacious, herculean, heroic, Himalayan, huge, humongous, immense, jumbo, king-size, leviathan, major, mammoth, massive, monolithic, monstrous, monumental, mountainous, pharaonic, prodigious, staggering, stupendous, super, super-duper, supersized, titanic, tremendous, vast, vasty, walloping, whacking, whopping, excessive, exorbitant, extravagant, extreme, immoderate, inordinate, abundant, ample, appreciable, copious, plentiful, fat, thick, capacious, commodious, roomy, spacious
    opposite: bantam, dinky, dwarf, dwarfish, little, puny, shrimpy, small, smallish, undersized
    near: diminutive, half-pint, infinitesimal, Lilliputian, little bitty, microminiature, microscopic, mini, miniature, minuscule, minute, pint-size, pocket-size, pygmy, teensy, teensy-weensy, teeny, teeny-weeny, tiny, wee, petite, slender, slight, slim, thin

  3. harsh and dry in sound

    "a voice that was husky from an afternoon of cheering on the team"

    similar: coarse, croaking, croaky, grating, gravel, gravelly, gruff, hoarse, rasping, raspy, rusty, scratchy, throaty
    related: growling, growly, guttural, abrasive, cacophonous, discordant, grinding, jarring, rough, scraping, scratching, cawing, raucous, screeching, squawking, strident, choked, cracked, strained, strangled, dissonant, inharmonious, unmelodious, unmusical
    near: gentle, gliding, golden, liquid, mellifluent, mellifluous, mellow, soothing, sweet, tender, satiny, silken, smooth, soft, velvety, euphonious, lyric, lyrical, melodic, melodious, musical

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Husky

The most common words with a similar meaning to Husky:

beefy, brawny, burly, hefty, hulking, mesomorphic, big, biggish, boxcar, bulky, considerable, goodly, grand, great, handsome, large, largish, outsize, oversize, sizable, substantial, tidy, voluminous, coarse, croaking, croaky, grating, gravel, gravelly, gruff, hoarse, rasping, raspy, rusty, scratchy, throaty

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Husky

Words with the opposite meaning of Husky:

bantam, dinky, dwarf, dwarfish, little, puny, shrimpy, small, smallish, undersized

Related Words for Husky

able-bodied, athletic, herculean, mighty, muscle-bound, muscular, powerful, robust, rugged, sinewy, stalwart, stout, strapping, strong, sturdy, chunky, compact, heavy, heavyset, solid, squat, squatty, stocky, thickset, chubby, dumpy, lumpish, podgy, portly, pudgy

Near Antonyms of Husky

lean, light, lightweight, slender, slight, slim, svelte, sylphlike, thin, willowy, bony, gangling, gangly, gaunt, gawky, lanky, reedy, scraggy, scrawny, skinny, spare, stringy, twiggy, waspish, weedy, spidery, wiry, debilitated, delicate, effete

Word Forms of Husky

Inflections: huskier, huskiest, huskies

Derived words: huskily (adverb), huskiness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Husky

probably from husk huskiness, from obsolete husk to have a dry cough

First known use: circa 1722

Words & Phrases Containing Husky

Siberian husky

Frequently Asked Questions about Husky

What does "Husky" mean?

"Husky" means hoarse with or as if with emotion. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: hoarse with or as if with emotion. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Husky"?

Other words for "Husky" include beefy, brawny, burly, hefty, hulking, mesomorphic, big and biggish. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Husky" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Husky"?

There are 153 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Husky". Common alternatives include beefy, brawny, burly, hefty, hulking, mesomorphic, big, biggish, boxcar and bulky.

What is the opposite of "Husky"?

Antonyms of "Husky" include bantam, dinky, dwarf, dwarfish, little, puny, shrimpy and small. Near antonyms include lean, light, lightweight and slender.

How do you use "Husky" in a sentence?

Examples of "Husky" in a sentence: "a husky weight lifter"; "the neighbors bought a fairly husky lawn mower for their small yard"; "a voice that was husky from an afternoon of cheering on the team".

Is "Husky" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Husky" can be used as an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Husky"?

"Husky" is pronounced /ˈhə-skē/ and divided into syllables as hus·ky.

What is the origin of the word "Husky"?

"Husky" comes from probably from husk huskiness, from obsolete husk to have a dry cough. First known use: circa 1722.