wiry
adjective
wirier
ˈwī-rē-ər 
; wiriest
; wiriest
1
a
archaic
: made of wire
b
: resembling wire especially in form and flexibility
the wiry coat of the schnauzer
wiry stems
c
of sound
: produced by or suggestive of the vibration of wire
The violist … often let his tone go nasal and wiry.—
D. J. Henahan
D. J. Henahan2
: being lean, supple, and vigorous : sinewy
… the wiry figure of a long distance runner.—Phoenix Flame
Phoenix FlameExamples 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
The wiry right-hander bullied the Brewers across three impressive innings of Houston’s 9-2 win, continuing an impressive rookie season for one of Houston’s biggest homegrown success stories.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 1 June 2026
Chapin, the mechanic on the Shawmut crew, was a wiry 6-footer with a winking sense of humor and a penchant for machine-shop patter peppered with gleeful profanity, a likable 26-year-old who’d been a reliable factory hand and test driver before the fire.
—Eric Moskowitz, The Atlantic, 31 May 2026
The spork's wiry handle is steel, as well.
—C.c. Weiss
may 31, New Atlas, 31 May 2026
The tension between the two boils over into a confrontation which only Eisenhower can adjudicate, a task complicated by his own arrogant British subordinate, a wiry and dislikable General Bernard Montgomery - played with a villainous verve bordering on the pantomime by Damian Lewis.
—Daniel Jonah Wolpert, NPR, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for wiry
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Chandler Rome, New York Times, 1 June 2026
Chapin, the mechanic on the Shawmut crew, was a wiry 6-footer with a winking sense of humor and a penchant for machine-shop patter peppered with gleeful profanity, a likable 26-year-old who’d been a reliable factory hand and test driver before the fire.
—Eric Moskowitz, The Atlantic, 31 May 2026
The spork's wiry handle is steel, as well.
—C.c. Weiss
may 31, New Atlas, 31 May 2026
The tension between the two boils over into a confrontation which only Eisenhower can adjudicate, a task complicated by his own arrogant British subordinate, a wiry and dislikable General Bernard Montgomery - played with a villainous verve bordering on the pantomime by Damian Lewis.
—Daniel Jonah Wolpert, NPR, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for wiry
Cite this Entry
“Wiry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wiry. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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