lanky

adjective

ˈlaŋ-kē 

lankier; lankiest

: ungracefully tall and thin

lankily

ˈlaŋ-kə-lē 

adverb

lankiness

ˈlaŋ-kē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• gangling
• gangly
• rangy
• spindling
• spindly

Choose the Right Synonym for lanky

lean, spare, lank, lanky, gaunt, rawboned, scrawny, skinny mean thin because of an absence of excess flesh.

lean stresses lack of fat and of curving contours.

a lean racehorse

spare suggests leanness from abstemious living or constant exercise.

the gymnast's spare figure

lank implies tallness as well as leanness.

the lank legs of the heron

lanky suggests awkwardness and loose-jointedness as well as thinness.

a lanky youth, all arms and legs

gaunt implies marked thinness or emaciation as from overwork or suffering.

a prisoner's gaunt face

rawboned suggests a large ungainly build without implying undernourishment.

a rawboned farmer

scrawny and skinny imply an extreme leanness that suggests deficient strength and vitality.

a scrawny chicken

skinny street urchins

Examples of lanky in a Sentence

the lanky basketball star was great at slam-dunking

Recent Examples on the Web

And there are other possibilities, especially at the center position, like Soo Greyhound Brady Martin, the Brandon Wheat Kings’ lanky pivot Roger McQueen, Moncton’s Caleb Desnoyer and even Boston College’s James Hagens, who was projected to go first overall at the start of the season. —Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 6 June 2025

Repeatability isn’t always the easiest thing for tall pitchers, but Lagrange seems to be maximizing his lanky frame thus far. —Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 4 June 2025

Groom hanging baskets by removing old flowers and lanky shoots. —Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 May 2025

The lanky midfielder impressed the German to the point of being taken on a preseason tour of the United States. —Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1818, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for lanky

• cranky
• hanky
• yankee

Kids Definition

lanky

adjective

ˈlaŋ-kē 

lankier; lankiest

: being tall, thin, and usually loose-jointed

a lanky teenager

lankily

-kə-lē 

adverb

lankiness

-kē-nəs 

noun