lanky

adjective

ˈlaŋ-kē 

lankier; lankiest

: ungracefully tall and thin

lankily

ˈlaŋ-kə-lē 

adverb

lankiness

ˈlaŋ-kē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of lanky

• gaunt
• skinny
• spindly
• gangling
• rangy
• thin
• gangly
• slender

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

Gray, a lanky man with a gray mustache, volunteers as a docent at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, just across from Boeing Field. —Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 12 June 2026

Green's first two seasons in college went according to script and the lanky downfield threat was as good as advertised, earning first-team All-SEC honors in back-to-back years. —Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 9 June 2026

There might have been a little fear of a 6-foot-6 lanky kid who was looking pretty solid. —James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 3 June 2026

The Bruins’ lanky center fielder, who was suspended for Friday’s game, came home when Call – a platoon second baseman to begin the year who started in center field on Friday – lined his second hit of the game to left. —Josh Gross, Daily News, 31 May 2026

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