barrel-chested

adjective

bar·​rel-chest·​ed ˈber-əl-ˌche-stəd 

ˈba-rəl-

: having a large rounded chest

a barrel-chested athlete

Examples of barrel-chested in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Now fifty-four, Chalker is nearly six feet tall and barrel-chested, with short brown hair and a thick, graying red beard. — David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026

Mike, now played with a friendly glower by the bald and barrel-chested Chiklis, is a construction-site foreman, married for decades to Eileen (Mary Stuart Masterson), with several grown children. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 19 Sep. 2025

Gophers men’s basketball coach Ben Johnson was talking about the development of Frank Mitchell on Monday when the barrel-chested, bruising forward walked across the U’s practice courts. — Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 11 Mar. 2025

When another officer arrived soon after — barrel-chested and thick-armed — the other cops chuckled at Ortiz’s confusion. — Dugan Arnett, BostonGlobe.com, 1 Mar. 2023

Thick-boned, barrel-chested, a healthy Neanderthal male could lift an average NFL linebacker over his head and throw him through the goalposts. — James Shreeve, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019

Word History

First Known Use

1845, in the meaning defined above