GANGLY Synonyms: 58 Similar and Opposite Words

gangly

adjective

ˈgaŋ-glē

Definition of gangly

as in gaunt

being tall, thin and usually loose-jointed a gangly teenager who was born to play varsity basketball

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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 gangly What to know about wood storks These gangly birds are sometimes called flintheads or ironheads because of their distinctive heads and necks. — Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 9 Feb. 2026 War was coming, but for her father, Eberhard, then a gangly teenager, life in Hawaii was an endless summer. — David Martin, CBS News, 7 Dec. 2025 Almost immediately, the long legs, tail, and gangly frame didn’t match that breed. — Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2025 Later that year, shortly before I was born, Murphy -- then a gangly catcher with an erratic arm and power at the plate -- made his major league debut. — Rick Klein, ABC News, 5 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gangly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for gangly

Adjective

The church’s punishment, however, delivered in front of the congregants, is an eerie ritual performed by a gaunt, severe visitor (Nicholas Hope).

— Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
Brig is in the Upper Valais, a gaunt and conservative place where the inhabitants speak Walliser German, an Alpine dialect that many Swiss people find unintelligible.

— Sam Knight, New Yorker, 1 June 2026

Definition of gaunt

Adjective

His junior season, though, is when that lanky frame finally filled out.

— Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 15 July 2026
Six days after the Yankees' first 15 batters couldn't get a hit off Bennett, the lanky left-hander retired the Angels' first 13 batters before Vaughn Grissom's fifth-inning single.

— ABC News, ABC News, 4 July 2026

Definition of lanky

Adjective

Core fits across skinny, slim, bootcut and straight continue to make up most of the Levi’s bottoms business, which grew 6 percent in Q2.

— Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 10 July 2026
Instead of reaching for skinny jeans that’ll cling to your skin, opt for a relaxed style with more room for a breezy feel.

— Nicol Natale, PEOPLE, 10 July 2026

Definition of skinny

Adjective

Too few nutrients, or not enough fertilizer, for petunias looks like leggy, spindly growth, pale color, few or no blooms, and slow growth.

— Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 July 2026
These wonders can grow as strange, twisted bushes or as giant, spindly trees.

— Condé Nast Traveler, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 July 2026

Definition of spindly

Adjective

His register has the ability to do justice to Mercury’s legendary vocals, which were rangy yet specific.

— David John Chávez, Mercury News, 18 June 2026
Wideman, one of our more prolific and fascinating novelists, wrote a rangy memoir of his own court time back in 2003.

— Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 18 June 2026

Definition of rangy

Adjective

The water pressure then causes the vehicle to rise and slide on a thin layer of water between the tires and the road, making the driver lose control.

— STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 July 2026
Sprinkle the entire rug with a thin layer of baking soda and wait 20 minutes.

— Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 5 July 2026

Definition of thin

Browse Nearby Words

gangling

gangly

gangrene

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“Gangly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gangly. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of gangly

adjective

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