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

Collins, who is lanky with blond hair and blue eyes, spent much of an interview with NPR fidgeting with his hands. —Frank Langfitt, NPR, 23 Dec. 2025

Meanwhile, Emily is introduced to yet another, even lankier version of herself, Celia, whose family owns this hotel. —Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2025

The members of Geese are young, lanky, and elegantly disaffected in a way that recalls both the Strokes and the Velvet Underground, two forebears of a certain strain of New York City cool. —Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2025

Macie, a lanky, frightened shelter dog in Florida, was pulled from a euthanasia list by rescuer Rebecca Landerman after being labeled too stressed to stay in the shelter. —Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Dec. 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