spindly
adjective
spin·dly
ˈspin(d)-lē 
ˈspin-dᵊl-ē
spindlier; spindliest
1
: of a disproportionately tall or long and thin appearance that often suggests physical weakness
spindly legs
2
: frail or flimsy in appearance or structure
a spindly tower
Examples of spindly in a Sentence
spindly, underfed dogs roamed the poverty-stricken village
Recent Examples on the Web
The mountains on either side of the water give way to towering canyon walls, spruce and pine thin out, and only stout dwarf willow and spindly alder remain.
—
Chloe Berge, AFAR Media, 15 Oct. 2025
Now, the 36-year-old grower, who inherited the generational plot from his father, can only wave his arm dejectedly at row after row of weak, spindly stems, the result of catastrophic floods that swept the South Asian nation’s agricultural heartland to a degree not experienced in three decades.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 7 Oct. 2025
The spindly, 18-inch-tall stalk has tiny white flowers.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Oct. 2025
Evolution has adapted the digits of mammals for an enormous range of uses, from our opposable thumbs to the spindly digits that support bat wings to the robust bones that support the hoofs of horses.
—John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spindly
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Chloe Berge, AFAR Media, 15 Oct. 2025
Now, the 36-year-old grower, who inherited the generational plot from his father, can only wave his arm dejectedly at row after row of weak, spindly stems, the result of catastrophic floods that swept the South Asian nation’s agricultural heartland to a degree not experienced in three decades.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 7 Oct. 2025
The spindly, 18-inch-tall stalk has tiny white flowers.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Oct. 2025
Evolution has adapted the digits of mammals for an enormous range of uses, from our opposable thumbs to the spindly digits that support bat wings to the robust bones that support the hoofs of horses.
—John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spindly
Cite this Entry
“Spindly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spindly. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
spindly
adjective
spin·dly
ˈspin-(d)lē
-dᵊl-ē
spindlier; spindliest
: of a tall or long and thin appearance that often suggests physical weakness
spindly legs
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