lean

1 of 2

adjective

1

a

: lacking or deficient in flesh

b

: containing little or no fat

lean meat

2

: lacking richness, sufficiency, or productiveness

lean profits

the lean years

3

: deficient in an essential or important quality or ingredient: such as

a

of ore : containing little valuable mineral

b

: low in combustible component

—used especially of fuel mixtures

4

: characterized by economy (as of style, expression, or operation)

leanly adverb

leanness

ˈlēn-nəs 

noun

leanness

2 of 2

noun

lean·​ness ˈlēnnə̇s 

plural -es

: the quality or state of being lean

Synonyms of lean

Adjective

• skinny
• thin
• slender
• bony
• slim

Choose the Right Synonym for lean

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 lean in a Sentence

Adjective

She has a lean, athletic body.

all of the marathoners are extremely lean

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The driver’s side opens, releasing the thump of music and a tall, lean figure. —Shyla Watson, PEOPLE, 5 June 2026

Emphasize lean sources of protein — such as beans, lentils and soy — and lean meats. —Natassia Paloma, USA Today, 4 June 2026

My father would roll up onto an elbow in bed, lean over her. —Literary Hub, 3 June 2026

Those nutrients often come from fresh and diverse fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy oils. —Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 3 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English lene, from Old English hlǣne

Noun

Middle English lenenes, from Old English hlǣnnes, from hlǣne lean + -nes -ness

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing lean

• lean and mean
• lean in
• lean on
• lean over backward
• lean-to

Rhymes for lean

• bean
• bein
• bien
• bouin
• clean
• deen
• diene
• gene
• glean
• jean
• keen
• lien

Kids Definition

lean

1 of 4 verb

ˈlēn 

leaned ˈlēnd 

chiefly British ˈlent

; leaning ˈlē-niŋ 

1

a

: to slant or cause to slant or bend from an upright position

the tree leans to one side

lean a ladder against a wall

b

: to cast one's weight to one side for support

lean on me

2

: to depend for support

lean on one's family in a crisis

3

: to tend in opinion, taste, or desire

lean toward simplicity

lean

2 of 4 noun

: the act or an instance of leaning

lean

3 of 4 adjective

1

a

: having little body fat

lean cattle

b

: containing little or no fat

lean meat

2

: lacking richness or fullness

a lean fuel-air mixture

leanness

ˈlēn-nəs 

noun

lean

4 of 4 noun

: the part of meat that consists mainly of fat-free muscle

Etymology

Verb

Old English hleonian "to slant to one side"

Adjective

Old English hlǣne "having very little body flesh"