Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective lanky contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of lanky are gaunt, lank, lean, rawboned, scrawny, skinny, and spare. While all these words mean "thin because of an absence of excess flesh," lanky suggests awkwardness and loose-jointedness as well as thinness.

a lanky youth, all arms and legs

When can gaunt be used instead of lanky?

Although the words gaunt and lanky have much in common, gaunt implies marked thinness or emaciation as from overwork or suffering.

a prisoner's gaunt face

When is lank a more appropriate choice than lanky?

The synonyms lank and lanky are sometimes interchangeable, but lank implies tallness as well as leanness.

the lank legs of the heron

When would lean be a good substitute for lanky?

The words lean and lanky can be used in similar contexts, but lean stresses lack of fat and of curving contours.

a lean racehorse

When could rawboned be used to replace lanky?

While in some cases nearly identical to lanky, 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 lanky?

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 lanky?

The meanings of spare and lanky largely overlap; however, spare suggests leanness from abstemious living or constant exercise.

the gymnast's spare figure

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 lanky Romeo is a lanky boyish redhead (Niall Cunningham). Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 29 Apr. 2025 The lanky, 6-foot-8 starter took it one step further Saturday and received an IV to help pump fluids into him before his start against Pittsburgh. Benjamin Royer, Los Angeles Times, 27 Apr. 2025 James Wood is this year’s Elly De La Cruz, a lanky, powerful hitter who can run like a gazelle and hit missiles (and also has a bit of a strikeout issue). Eno Sarris, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025 When Wade had entered the league, baggy, untucked dress shirts and oversize suits were the style on draft night; on game days, players draped 5XL sweat suits and Mitchell & Ness throwback jerseys over their lanky frames. D. Watkins, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for lanky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lanky
Adjective
  • While Kahn was on the GLP-1 bandwagon earlier than most, her story has become the norm for those using weight loss drugs, finding their skin is looser and their face is more gaunt, creating a wealth of opportunity across the beauty ecosphere.
    Emily Burns, Footwear News, 7 May 2025
  • Egon Schiele had his thing for gaunt girls and their undergarments.
    Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • She was dressed for vacation in a sheer white long sleeve mini dress and slides, while the realtor wore a casual travel-day combo of skinny jeans, a white t-shirt and sneakers.
    Natalia Senanayake, People.com, 13 May 2025
  • Ball is too inattentive on that end despite his impressive offensive skill set, and Miller is quite skinny and struggles to wall up on opposing guards and wings through his core.
    Sam Vecenie, New York Times, 12 May 2025
Adjective
  • The spindly 6-0, 170-pounder made big strides each season after that.
    Bruce Feldman, New York Times, 20 May 2025
  • Keep in mind, in the world of asparagus, thin and spindly is not always better than thick and chunky.
    Catharine Kaufman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 May 2025
Adjective
  • The tall and rangy Lincoln, strengthened by physical labor, was an expert wrestler who was not afraid of bullies.
    John Baldoni, Forbes.com, 12 Apr. 2025
  • Carlies, a 2024 fifth-round pick, showed promise as a rangy linebacker.
    James Boyd, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The Biden administration lowered prices on 10 widely prescribed drugs, such as the blood thinner Eliquis, which will take effect in 2026.
    Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 13 May 2025
  • 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.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 13 May 2025
Adjective
  • Light pruning results in a gangly, unkempt plant by midsummer.
    Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Nate leaps into action-hero mode, and the film’s mayhem blowouts include a multi-weapon melee in a restaurant kitchen, leaving our gangly hero horribly burned but quite chipper about it, since his adversary is less fortunate.
    Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Courtesy of Dyson For such a slender vacuum, Dyson managed to squeeze in a ton of noteworthy features.
    Brenda Stolyar, Wired News, 22 May 2025
  • In 2016, the Dodgers sent pitcher Zach Lee to the Pacific Northwest in return for the slender middle infielder.
    Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Lanky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lanky. Accessed 27 May. 2025.

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