muskulösa

Muskulösa is the plural form of the Swedish adjective muskulös, used to describe nouns that have well-developed muscles. As an attributive adjective it agrees with the noun in number, for example muskulösa armar and muskulösa ben. The corresponding singular forms are muskulös (common gender) and muskulöst (neuter).

Etymology: The stem muskul- comes from the noun muskel (muscle), and the adjective formation follows common Swedish patterns derived from the broader root found in many Germanic languages. The ultimate origin is Latin musculus, meaning “little mouse,” a traditional source for muscle terminology. Danish and Norwegian use muskuløs, while German uses muskulös, reflecting the shared linguistic history.

Usage: The term is common in non-technical and semi-technical contexts, including sports reporting and general anatomy descriptions. It does not designate a disease or condition but a characteristic of physique or anatomical structure. In formal medical or anatomical writing, phrases such as muskulaturen (the musculature) or specific references to muscles are often preferred, but muskulösa remains correct as a descriptive plural adjective in everyday and semi-technical Swedish.

See also: muskler, muskulatur, anatomi.