bony

adjective

ˈbō-nē How to pronounce bony (audio)
variants also boney
Definition of bonynext
1
as in skinny
having a noticeably small amount of body fat that bony old horse may have been deliberately starved

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in barren
producing inferior or only a small amount of vegetation bony hills from which sheepherders eked out a meager existence

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bony Then stand or sit while bending forward at the waist, pinching the soft part of the nose below the bony portion on both sides for 10 minutes. — Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Jan. 2023 Riders follow the instructions of Redbeard (given via onboard audio), which include finding and counting gems along the shore, looking out for bony opponents in Skeleton Valley and participating in a seaworthy singalong near the finale. — Dewayne Bevil, Orlando Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2023 Santiago Calatrava is best known for bridges that leap and budgets that soar, for vast and bony white-steel structures that evoke high-tech ruins of the future and cause fiscal ruin in the present. — Curbed, 6 Dec. 2022 Its bony head armor was more like that of Asian ankyloaurs than ones from North America. — Eric Betz, Discover Magazine, 19 July 2018 See All Example Sentences for bony
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bony
  1. skinny
  2. barren
  3. thin
  4. desolate
  5. slender
  6. impoverished
  7. lean
  8. poor
Adjective
  • Here are five ways to make ’70s boho blouses and skinny jeans feel like a fashion decision worth making again.
    — Georgia Brown, Glamour, 7 Nov. 2026
  • This fall, that means no skinny jeans, chunky dad sneakers, bags with logos, or all-black outfits.
    — Valeriya Chupinina, Travel + Leisure, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of skinny
Adjective
  • Away from the shore, the tundra is barren, a broad expanse of moss, lichen, and exposed rock.
    — Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026
  • After five years in development at Retro Studios, the original makers of the Metroid Prime series, fans were greeted with annoying side characters, a bike for Samus to roam the barren landscape on, and a deeply unsatisfying ending.
    — Daryl Baxter, Space.com, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of barren
Adjective
  • Its thin-film cadmium-telluride technology doesn't rely on the silicon supply chain.
    — Harvey Stober, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2026
  • In past years, people have repurposed the thin plastic from the signs to make school projects, as art canvases, and even model airplanes.
    — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of thin
Adjective
  • From desolate deserts to cut-off civilisations, wild and remote destinations are emerging as the places travellers will be talking about most in 2027.
    — Luke Abrahams, Vogue, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The road that leads to the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women is long and desolate.
    — Anja Aronowsky Cronberg, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of desolate
Adjective
  • Tough, hardy junipers come in many useful sizes and shapes, from trailing junipers that can work as ground covers to tall, slender trees.
    — Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 8 Nov. 2026
  • The metal legs and sinuous iron springs make this chair sturdy, yet a conveniently slender perch.
    — Brittany VanDerBill, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of slender
Adjective
  • The United Nations says more than 1,600 people have been killed and more than 300,000 displaced since fighting resumed in the impoverished country.
    — Frank Andrews, CBS News, 6 Nov. 2026
  • The white South African group governed the nation for decades under a brutal system of segregation known as apartheid, which kept the Black majority an impoverished underclass until the system was dismantled in 1994.
    — Sharon Lerner, ProPublica, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of impoverished
Adjective
  • The ultra-lean trimmings imported on the cheap have been frozen, possibly for years, intended to be mixed with fattier domestic meat to make ground beef.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 2 Nov. 2026
  • From weeks three through 12, they were allowed one structured meal of lean protein and vegetables each day alongside meal replacements, before shifting into a weight maintenance phase for the final 12 weeks.
    — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of lean
Adjective
  • Nearby residents have argued that the large apartment complex will be a poor fit for their neighborhood, citing concerns about traffic congestion and fire department access, among other things.
    — Barbara Henry, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2026
  • The Lions’ high-flying offense is at its best on turf, not nearly as fast on grass, and their poor red zone defense has been an issue.
    — Hank Gola, New York Daily News, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of poor

Browse Nearby Words

bon voyages
bony
boo
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Cite this Entry

“Bony.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bony. Accessed 11 Nov. 2026.

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