gangly

adjective

gan·​gly ˈgaŋ-glē 

ganglier; gangliest

1

a

: tall and thin and moving with a loose-jointed awkwardness : lanky, gangling

It is a cool night in San Jose, and gangly teenagers stream toward the Gunderson gym.

—Chris Ballard

b

: long and thin

His linen suit was appropriately rumpled … and his gangly legs were jacked up against the glove box, as he resisted suggestions to slide his seat back.

—Cara Buckley

2

of a plant : having a tall and sparse appearance : lacking fullness

These tall (to 8 feet), sometimes gangly shrubs bear cup-shaped, strong-scented flowers.

—Michael MacCaskey

Synonyms

• gangling
• lanky
• rangy
• spindling
• spindly

Examples of gangly in a Sentence

a gangly teenager who was born to play varsity basketball

Recent Examples on the Web

Piani did the right thing in casting Rutherford, whose physical embodiment of Agathe suggests a tall, gangly, striking woman trying not to be seen. —Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2025

Light pruning results in a gangly, unkempt plant by midsummer. —Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Apr. 2025

Nate leaps into action-hero mode, and the film’s mayhem blowouts include a multi-weapon melee in a restaurant kitchen, leaving our gangly hero horribly burned but quite chipper about it, since his adversary is less fortunate. —Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2025

The character started as a gangly teenager and has matured into a wise warrior. —Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 12 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

probably from gangl(ing) + -y entry 1

First Known Use

1871, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

gangly

adjective

gan·​gly ˈgaŋ-glē 

ganglier; gangliest

: loosely and awkwardly built : lanky