wiry

adjective

ˈwī(-ə)r-ē 

wirier ˈwī-rē-ər  ; wiriest

1

a

archaic : made of wire

b

: resembling wire especially in form and flexibility

the wiry coat of the Irish terrier

wiry stems

c

of sound : produced by or suggestive of the vibration of wire

the violinist … often let his tone go nasal and wiry

—D. J. Henahan

2

: being lean, supple, and vigorous : sinewy

the wiry figure of a long-distance runner

—Phoenix Flame

wirily

ˈwī-rə-lē 

adverb

wiriness

ˈwī-rē-nəs 

noun

Examples of wiry in a Sentence

a man with long, wiry arms

She was lean and wiry from years of working out.

He has dark, wiry hair.

Recent Examples on the Web

As Banda escaped, Sasaki raised his wiry frame atop the rail and roared. —Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025

But Colson, a wiry outdoors enthusiast fizzing with energy, has hiked and biked every inch of the island and made a point of recruiting local heroes like Tzavelakos, who teaches diving to hotel guests, and Sotiria Antonopoulou, who leads private tours of Ioulida. —Rachel Howard, Travel + Leisure, 14 Apr. 2025

Is this the genuine cargo or some wiry wisp of a Ringo impersonator? —Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2025

White’s wiry, versatile, energetic, intelligent and strong. —Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1588, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for wiry

• kyrie
• expiry
• inquiry

Kids Definition

wiry

adjective

ˈwī(ə)r-ē 

wirier ˈwī-rē-ər  ; wiriest

1

: resembling wire in form and flexibility

wiry stems

2

: being slender yet strong and muscular

a wiry physique