husky
1 of 5adjective (1)
hus·ky ˈhə-skē 
huskier; huskiest
: hoarse with or as if with emotion
huskily
ˈhə-skə-lē
adverb huskiness
ˈhə-skē-nəs
noun husky
2 of 5noun (1)
hus·ky ˈhə-skē
plural huskies
1
: siberian husky
2
: a heavy-coated working dog of the New World arctic region
husky
3 of 5adjective (2)
hus·ky ˈhə-skē
huskier; huskiest
1
: burly, robust
2
: large
husky
4 of 5noun (2)
hus·ky ˈhə-skē
plural huskies
: one that is husky
husky
5 of 5adjective (3)
ˈhə-skē
huskier; huskiest
: resembling, containing, or full of husks
Synonyms
Adjective (1)
- coarse
- croaking
- croaky
- grating
- gravel
- gravelly
- gruff
- hoarse
- rasping
- raspy
- rusty
- scratchy
- throaty
Adjective (2)
- beefy
- brawny
- burly
- hefty
- hulking
- mesomorphic
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Word History
Etymology
Adjective (1)
probably from husk huskiness, from obsolete husk to have a dry cough
Noun (1)
shortening of Huskemaw, Uskemaw Eskimo, from Cree aškime·w; akin to Montagnais (Algonquian language of eastern Canada) aiachkime8 Micmac, Eskimo — more at eskimo
Adjective (2)
probably from husk entry 1
First Known Use
Adjective (1)
circa 1722, in the meaning defined above
Noun (1)
1852, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Adjective (2)
1869, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun (2)
1864, in the meaning defined above
Adjective (3)
1552, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing husky
Kids Definition
husky 1 of 3
adjective
hus·ky ˈhəs-kē
huskier; huskiest
: hoarse sense 2
a husky voice
husky
2 of 3noun
plural huskies
: a strong dog with a thick coat often used to pull sleds in arctic regions
husky
3 of 3adjective
huskier; huskiest
1
: strong sense 1, burly
husky football players
2
: larger than average
husky 1 of 2
adjective (1)
1
as in athletic
strongly and heavily built a husky weight lifter Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- athletic
- burly
- beefy
- hulking
- powerful
- brawny
- stout
- muscular
- mighty
- strong
- sturdy
- hefty
- mesomorphic
- stocky
- rugged
- sinewy
- heavyset
- heavy
- solid
- pudgy
- thickset
- chubby
- robust
- strapping
- tubby
- squatty
- chunky
- muscle-bound
- stalwart
- squat
- dumpy
- compact
- portly
- herculean
- lumpish
- podgy
- roly-poly
- able-bodied
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- thin
- slender
- lean
- slight
- lanky
- reedy
- scrawny
- slim
- willowy
- lightweight
- light
- skinny
- svelte
- gaunt
- weedy
- wiry
- bony
- stringy
- scraggy
- gawky
- twiggy
- spare
- waspish
- sylphlike
- gangling
- weak
- frail
- feeble
- emaciated
- gangly
- spidery
- fragile
- wimpy
- delicate
- puny
- boney
- effete
- weakly
- infirm
- enfeebled
- debilitated
- unathletic
- enervated
2
as in large
of a size greater than average of its kind the neighbors bought a fairly husky lawn mower for their small yard Synonyms & Similar Words
- large
- handsome
- sizable
- big
- substantial
- considerable
- great
- oversize
- huge
- tidy
- hulking
- oversized
- bulky
- excessive
- gigantic
- boxcar
- hefty
- voluminous
- enormous
- massive
- outsize
- grand
- vast
- mammoth
- largish
- colossal
- staggering
- goodly
- tremendous
- super
- spacious
- outsized
- sizeable
- mountainous
- extravagant
- jumbo
- biggish
- ample
- elephantine
- leviathan
- titanic
- cavernous
- monstrous
- thick
- immense
- humongous
- cosmic
- gargantuan
- astronomical
- galactic
- heroic
- immoderate
- vasty
- whopping
- major
- bumper
- cyclopean
- prodigious
- monolithic
- extreme
- supersized
- stupendous
- gross
- Himalayan
- plentiful
- walloping
- heroical
- exorbitant
- herculean
- inordinate
- whacking
- humungous
- king-sized
- fat
- pharaonic
- Bunyanesque
- copious
- appreciable
- monumental
- cosmical
- abundant
- king-size
- astronomic
- roomy
- super-duper
- capacious
- commodious
- Brobdingnagian
- hellacious
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- small
- little
- dwarf
- dwarfish
- smallish
- undersized
- puny
- dinky
- undersize
- shrimpy
- bantam
- tiny
- diminutive
- pygmy
- miniature
- mini
- wee
- petite
- teeny
- slender
- thin
- microscopic
- little bitty
- infinitesimal
- minuscule
- teensy
- microscopical
- minute
- pint-sized
- slight
- slim
- pint-size
- microminiature
- half-pint
- pocket-sized
- teeny-weeny
- teensy-weensy
- pocket-size
- Lilliputian
husky
2 of 2adjective (2)
as in hoarse
harsh and dry in sound a voice that was husky from an afternoon of cheering on the team Synonyms & Similar Words
- hoarse
- gruff
- raspy
- gravelly
- throaty
- rasping
- coarse
- growling
- rusty
- gravel
- croaking
- croaky
- scratchy
- grating
- guttural
- choked
- growly
- abrasive
- strangled
- strained
- grinding
- rough
- strident
- raucous
- cracked
- screeching
- scraping
- scratching
- jarring
- squawking
- discordant
- dissonant
- cacophonous
- cawing
- unmelodious
- unmusical
- inharmonious
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- sweet
- gentle
- mellow
- golden
- mellifluous
- liquid
- tender
- soft
- soothing
- velvety
- smooth
- silken
- mellifluent
- musical
- melodic
- satiny
- melodious
- gliding
- lyric
- lyrical
- euphonious
- sphenoparietal
- sphenoparietal index
- Sphenophorus
- Sphenophyllales
- Sphenophyllum
- sphenopsid
- Sphenopsida
- sphenopsidae
- sphenopsidas
- sphenopsids
- Sphenopteris
- sphenosquamosal
- sphenotic
- sphenoturbinal
- spher
- spher-
- spheral
- spherality
- spheraster
- spheration
- sphere
- sphere crystal
- sphere fungus
- sphere gap
- sphere of influence