Synonyms of gaunt

gaunt

adjective

ˈgȯnt 

as in haggard

suffering extreme weight loss as a result of hunger or disease

a gaunt patient suffering from the side effects of treatment

Synonyms & Similar Words

• haggard
• skeletal
• emaciated
• starved
• bony
• starving
• cadaverous
• hungry
• thin
• skinny
• lanky
• scrawny
• lank
• wasted
• rawboned
• sinewy
• underfed
• undernourished
• boney
• scraggy
• shrivelled
• wizened
• withered
• shriveled
• famished
• spare

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• healthy
• burly
• husky
• beefy
• brawny
• hale
• fit
• hearty
• plump
• fat
• pudgy
• stocky
• corpulent
• rotund
• fleshy
• chubby
• overweight
• portly
• obese
• heavyset
• tubby
• thickset
• flabby
• soft
• roly-poly

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective gaunt contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of gaunt are lanky, lank, lean, rawboned, scrawny, skinny, and spare. While all these words mean "thin because of an absence of excess flesh," gaunt implies marked thinness or emaciation as from overwork or suffering.

a prisoner's gaunt face

When is lank a more appropriate choice than gaunt?

The words lank and gaunt are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, lank implies tallness as well as leanness.

the lank legs of the heron

When is it sensible to use lanky instead of gaunt?

In some situations, the words lanky and gaunt are roughly equivalent. However, lanky suggests awkwardness and loose-jointedness as well as thinness.

a lanky youth, all arms and legs

When could lean be used to replace gaunt?

While in some cases nearly identical to gaunt, lean stresses lack of fat and of curving contours.

a lean racehorse

In what contexts can rawboned take the place of gaunt?

Although the words rawboned and gaunt have much in common, rawboned suggests a large ungainly build without implying undernourishment.

a rawboned farmer

How do scrawny and skinny relate to one another, in the sense of gaunt?

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

a scrawny chicken

skinny street urchins

Where would spare be a reasonable alternative to gaunt?

The synonyms spare and gaunt are sometimes interchangeable, but spare suggests leanness from abstemious living or constant exercise.

the gymnast's spare figure

Examples of gaunt in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In the video Yerushalmi appears gaunt, with dark circles under her eyes. —Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 3 Sep. 2024

His cheeks were gaunt, his red-rimmed eyes sat deep in their socket. —Maggie Slepian, Longreads, 15 Aug. 2024

Card's ex-wife and son had reported their concerns about his paranoia and erratic behavior to police in May 2023, two months before fellow reservists encountered a gaunt Card in New York, where members of his unit were training West Point cadets. —David Sharp and Patrick Whittle The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 24 July 2024

With his face so gaunt and angular, the eyes popped even more, attaining a nocturnal, predatory aura. —Marco Grob, Vulture, 22 Mar. 2024