Synonyms of gaunt

gaunt

adjective

ˈgȯnt 

as in haggard

suffering extreme weight loss as a result of hunger or disease

a gaunt patient suffering from the side effects of treatment

Synonyms & Similar Words

• haggard
• skeletal
• emaciated
• starved
• starving
• bony
• cadaverous
• hungry
• thin
• skinny
• lanky
• scrawny
• lank
• wasted
• sinewy
• undernourished
• underfed
• rawboned
• wizened
• scraggy
• withered
• famished
• spare
• shriveled

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• healthy
• burly
• husky
• beefy
• brawny
• hale
• fit
• hearty
• plump
• fat
• pudgy
• stocky
• corpulent
• rotund
• fleshy
• chubby
• overweight
• portly
• obese
• heavyset
• tubby
• thickset
• flabby
• soft
• roly-poly

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective gaunt contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of gaunt are lanky, lank, lean, rawboned, scrawny, skinny, and spare. While all these words mean "thin because of an absence of excess flesh," gaunt implies marked thinness or emaciation as from overwork or suffering.

a prisoner's gaunt face

When is lank a more appropriate choice than gaunt?

The words lank and gaunt are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, lank implies tallness as well as leanness.

the lank legs of the heron

When is it sensible to use lanky instead of gaunt?

In some situations, the words lanky and gaunt are roughly equivalent. However, lanky suggests awkwardness and loose-jointedness as well as thinness.

a lanky youth, all arms and legs

When could lean be used to replace gaunt?

While in some cases nearly identical to gaunt, lean stresses lack of fat and of curving contours.

a lean racehorse

In what contexts can rawboned take the place of gaunt?

Although the words rawboned and gaunt have much in common, rawboned suggests a large ungainly build without implying undernourishment.

a rawboned farmer

How do scrawny and skinny relate to one another, in the sense of gaunt?

Both scrawny and skinny imply an extreme leanness that suggests deficient strength and vitality.

a scrawny chicken

skinny street urchins

Where would spare be a reasonable alternative to gaunt?

The synonyms spare and gaunt are sometimes interchangeable, but spare suggests leanness from abstemious living or constant exercise.

the gymnast's spare figure

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of gaunt

As Alpha waits for the results of blood tests, she is startled by the sudden appearance of a gaunt, jittery stranger in their apartment. —Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026

Lie’s Evans is gaunt and distant, a shy man hidden behind a veil of cigarette smoke, unable to process — or even express — his grief. —Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 5 Mar. 2026

Regina was standing by the window now, looking even more gaunt under the artificial light of the bulb behind her and the faint glow of the sunrise in front, which barely managed to filter through the balcony awning. —Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026

The focus on his looks comes after his gaunt appearance in a pre-recorded video at September's Dawson's Creek reunion. —Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 16 Jan. 2026