skin and bones
phrase
variants
or skin and bone
informal
: very thin in a way that is unattractive and unhealthy
After the illness, he was skin and bones.
The starving dog was nothing but skin and bones.
Cite this Entry
“Skin and bones.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/skin%20and%20bones. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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