slender

adjective

slen·​der ˈslen-dər 

1

a

: spare in frame or flesh

especially : gracefully slight

b

: small or narrow in circumference or width in proportion to length or height

2

: limited or inadequate in amount or scope : meager

people of slender means

slenderly adverb

slenderness noun

Synonyms of slender

• thin
• narrow
• skinny

Choose the Right Synonym for slender

thin, slender, slim, slight, tenuous mean not thick, broad, abundant, or dense.

thin implies comparatively little extension between surfaces or in diameter, or it may imply lack of substance, richness, or abundance.

thin wire

a thin soup

slender implies leanness or spareness often with grace and good proportion.

the slender legs of a Sheraton chair

slim applies to slenderness that suggests fragility or scantiness.

a slim volume of poetry

a slim chance

slight implies smallness as well as thinness.

a slight build

tenuous implies extreme thinness, sheerness, or lack of substance and firmness.

a tenuous thread

Examples of slender in a Sentence

She has a slender figure.

a flower with a slender stem

an animal with a long, slender snout

Recent Examples on the Web

Masters, tall and slender, forded the frigid waist-deep water to wake up his father and convince the 63-year-old to evacuate. — Ren Larson, ProPublica, 2 Sep. 2026

The shoes paired with the Dolce & Gabbana dress featured a slender strap across the toes and curved straps around the top of the foot and ankle forming a diamond with concave sides. — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026

The tall, slender Berry imagined, chronicled and lived out his vision of a self-sustaining community in which no one had to ask where their food came from or the names of their neighbors. — ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026

Several other curved, slender bones were soon found nearby, according to pictures shared with the station. — Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English sclendre, slendre, from Anglo-French esclendre

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for slender

• bender
• blender
• fender
• gender
• lender
• mender
• prendre
• render
• sender
• splendor
• tender
• vender

Kids Definition

slender

adjective

slen·​der ˈslen-dər 

1

: thin entry 1 sense 1, slim

2

: limited or not enough in amount : meager

a slender income

slenderly adverb

slenderness noun