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
  • As described in the book, the suits still needed to facilitate Herbert’s system for collecting and recycling the body’s moisture in the barren desert.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Away from the shore, the tundra is barren, a broad expanse of moss, lichen, and exposed rock.
    — Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of barren
Adjective
  • Humanoid learns factory Gallop’s initial assignment involves packing 15 different motherboard accessories, many of which are small, thin, and enclosed in transparent plastic bags.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 13 Nov. 2026
  • If the acting races are thin, the director’s chair is nearly empty.
    — Clayton Davis, Variety, 12 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 Canadian firm implemented automotive-style lean manufacturing protocols to speed up unit completion without compromising thermal performance standards.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 Nov. 2026
  • Only FiftyPlusOne had rated the race as a toss-up, while nine other forecasters rated it as lean or likely Republican.
    — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 10 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 14 Nov. 2026.

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