A large and strong and heavyset man:
— A thick-skinned bruiser ready to give as good as he got.

synonyms: bull, Samson, strapper.

Roget 726: combatant; disputant, controversialist, polemic, litigant, belligerent; competitor, rival, corrival^†; fighter, assailant; champion, Paladin; mosstrooper^†, swashbuckler fire eater, duelist, bully, bludgeon man, rough.    prize fighter, pugilist, boxer, bruiser, the fancy, gladiator, athlete, wrestler; fighting-cock, game-cock; warrior, soldier, fighting man, Amazon, man at arms, armigerent^†; campaigner, veteran; swordsman, sabreur^†, redcoat, military man, Rajput.    armed force, troops, soldiery, military forces, sabaoth^†, the army, standing army, regulars, the line, troops of the line, militia, yeomanry, volunteers, trainband, fencible^†; auxiliary, bersagliere^†, brave; garde-nationale, garde-royale [Fr.]; minuteman [U.S.]; auxiliary forces, reserve forces; reserves, posse comitatus [Lat.], national guard, gendarme, beefeater; guards, guardsman; yeomen of the guard, life guards, household troops.    janissary; myrmidon; Mama, Mameluke; spahee^†, spahi^†, Cossack, Croat, Pandoz.    irregular, guerilla, partisan, condottiere^†; franctireur [Fr.], tirailleur^†, bashi-bazouk; [guerilla organization names: list], vietminh, vietcong; shining path; contras; huk, hukbalahap.    mercenary, soldier of fortune; hired gun, gunfighter, gunslinger; bushwhacker, free lance, companion; Hessian.    hit man torpedo, soldier.    levy, draught; Landwehr [G.], Landsturm [G.]; conscript, recruit, cadet, raw levies.    infantry, infantryman, private, private soldier, foot soldier; Tommy Atkins^†, rank and file, peon, trooper, sepoy^†, legionnaire, legionary, cannon fodder, food for powder; officer etc. (commander) 745; subaltern, ensign, standard bearer; spearman, pikeman^†; spear bearer; halberdier^†, lancer; musketeer, carabineer^†, rifleman, jager [G.], sharpshooter, yager^†, skirmisher; grenadier, fusileer^†; archer, bowman.    horse and foot; horse soldier; cavalry, horse, artillery, horse artillery, light horse, voltigeur [Fr.], uhlan, mounted rifles, dragoon, hussar; light dragoon, heavy dragoon; heavy; cuirassier [Fr.]; Foot Guards, Horse Guards.    gunner, cannoneer, bombardier, artilleryman^†, matross^†; sapper, sapper and miner; engineer; light infantry, rifles, chasseur [Fr.], zouave; military train, coolie.    army, corps d'armee [Fr.], host, division, battalia^†, column, wing, detachment, garrison, flying column, brigade, regiment, corps, battalion, sotnia^†, squadron, company, platoon, battery, subdivision, section, squad; piquet, picket, guard, rank, file; legion, phalanx, cohort; cloud of skirmishers.    war horse, charger, destrier.    marine, man-of-war's man etc. (sailor) 269; navy, wooden walls, naval forces, fleet, flotilla, armada, squadron.    [ships of war] man-of-war; destroyer; submarine; minesweeper; torpedo-boat, torpedo-destroyer; patrol torpedo boat, PT boat; torpedo-catcher, war castle, H.   M.S.; battleship, battle wagon, dreadnought, line of battle ship, ship of the line; aircraft carrier, carrier.    flattop [Coll.]; helicopter carrier; missile platform, missile boat; ironclad, turret ship, ram, monitor, floating battery; first-rate, frigate, sloop of war, corvette, gunboat, bomb vessel; flagship, guard ship, cruiser; armored cruiser, protected cruiser; privateer.    [supporting ships] tender; store ship, troop ship; transport, catamaran; merchant marine.    ... show more

Dutch: ruwe vechtersbaas, Simson, mannetjesputter
Polish: byk, chłop jak dąb, kawał chłopa