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

Synonyms of spindly

• gaunt
• skinny
• lanky
• thin
• gangling
• bony
• gangly
• slender

Examples of spindly in a Sentence

spindly, underfed dogs roamed the poverty-stricken village

Recent Examples on the Web

In Low Light Don't plant your tomatoes in a shady spot, where the plants will grow spindly and set very little fruit. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 5 Mar. 2026

When growing basil indoors on a sunny windowsill, give pots a quarter turn weekly to expose all sides to the sun and ensure seedlings won't be pale and spindly. —Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Feb. 2026

There dense clouds of dust and spindly filaments of cold molecular gas, the basic matter from which stars form, encircle the galaxy’s central supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A*. —Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 26 Feb. 2026

Despite the novelty of this world having been exhausted on me long ago, seeing twelve identical borzois in a row, echoing the ornate, spindly verticality of a Gothic revival palace, still tripped me out. —Andrew Norman Wilson, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1651, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids 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