BONEY Synonyms: 137 Similar and Opposite Words

bony

adjective

ˈbō-nē

variants also boney

Definition of bony

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

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

Adjective

Elsewhere, Julia Fox erupted on the scene, sporting skinny brows, overly blushed cheeks, black liner and glossed lips, no less.

— Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2026
There were handheld American flags on skinny sticks, midsize ones to display on a wall and majestic formal flags adorned with silky gold fringe.

— Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of skinny

Adjective

Pollinators and birds have found a welcoming haven here, is a spot that was previously barren, rocky ground.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
The 80-kilometer stretch between Abu Dhabi and Dubai — a barren expanse of farms, factories, warehouses, and not much else — is now drawing multibillion-dollar property projects.

— Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of barren

Adjective

When new, concrete possesses a thin, temporarily protective layer that, if not maintained, will wear away, exposing the interior, which gradually crumbles.

— Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Officials issued the alert Monday after a man shared with police an image appearing to show the dangerous reptile slithering from the thin branch of a tree onto the roof of a backyard shed.

— Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of thin

Adjective

Along a desolate stretch of California desert highway, next to a ramshackle home, law enforcement officials on Wednesday dug for a second day in a search for bodies.

— Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
With its fragile acoustic melodies, desolate lyrics, and spare, subtle studio accompaniment, Ride Lonesome is like Nick Drake’s mumble-folk masterpiece Bryter Layter as the work of a lovelorn Laurel Canyon soft-rock poet.

— Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of desolate

Adjective

Use a long, slender trowel to dig a single-occupancy hole, or dig a wide hole to plant a group of bulbs.

— Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026
They are designed with slender straps that cross over the foot, creating an elegantly curved shape at the vamp.

— Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of slender

Adjective

Three gunmen barged into a small house in an impoverished neighborhood in South Africa and opened fire on a group enjoying a party inside, killing at least 11 people including a pregnant woman, police and local authorities said Wednesday.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026
In 1693, Antoine Theroux, an impoverished 18-year-old boatman, was recruited to defend New France, as Canada was then known, against the Indigenous tribes and the British for King Louis XIV.

— Heller McAlpin, Christian Science Monitor, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of impoverished

Adjective

Canned seafood can include lean protein, essential omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DPA, potassium, vitamin B-12, vitamin D, iron and calcium, according to Michelle Dudash, RDN, author of The Low-Carb Mediterranean Cookbook.

— Jo Ann Liguori, Flow Space, 5 Oct. 2026
Our staff sees it as competitive, but most lean toward the NL’s top seed moving on to the Championship Series.

— The Athletic MLB Staff, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of lean

Browse Nearby Words

bon voyages

bony

boo

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“Bony.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bony. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of bony

adjective

Example Sentences

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