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 Groom hanging baskets by removing old flowers and lanky shoots. Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 May 2025 The lanky midfielder impressed the German to the point of being taken on a preseason tour of the United States. Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025 Swapping sunny California for the Austrian Alps (and Masha's lanky blonde locks for an icy bob), the season finds Masha overseeing a new batch of strangers eager to overcome their anxieties, traumas, and struggles back home. Randall Colburn, EW.com, 21 May 2025 There’s something about a lanky, underappreciated guard with a wonky shooting form and a clutch gene that Hoosiers appreciate. Zak Keefer, New York Times, 21 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for lanky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lanky
Adjective
  • In addition to a very gaunt appearance, other symptoms include: Extreme weakness Thin, dry skin with excess skin folds due to loss of fat Sparse, brittle hair that can be easily plucked out 8.
    Jonathan Purtell, Verywell Health, 13 June 2025
  • Recent photos of Bieber out and about show him looking gaunt and disappearing into his clothes.
    Shirley Halperin, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Jamie has a big head, like a baby, and skinny limbs; his flashes of menace have the horror-movie quality of an evil doll.
    Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
  • As a departure from the era of plain skinny ties, Lauren's wide, colorful neckties broke the mold, and his company grew from there.
    Diane J. Cho, People.com, 28 June 2025
Adjective
  • His self-presentation is not that of a postmodern auteur, poised to trounce his critics, but of a goofy man off to the side with spectator shoes, spindly legs, and ginormous hands.
    Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 24 June 2025
  • Planting sun-loving plants in a shady site usually results in plants with spindly growth and few, if any, flowers.
    Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2025
Adjective
  • Although cornerback wasn’t necessarily a position of need, Thomas is a long, rangy player who can be effective in both the run and pass game.
    Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 8 May 2025
  • On Friday night, in addition to Bech — who has no issue getting dirty in the blocking game — the Raiders added Darien Porter out of Iowa State, a rangy corner with upside (sound familiar to Carroll’s Seattle days?).
    Zak Keefer, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • In a thin free agent class that’s getting thinner by the minute, there are Ehlers and Boeser (Mitch Marner is expected to go to Vegas, though Sportnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported the Leafs are rattling their sabers about potential tampering by the Golden Knights) at the top.
    Stephen Conroy, Hartford Courant, 30 June 2025
  • But rather than spreading resources thin to cast a wide net that lightly lifts production across the board, policymakers should focus their energy on restoring the production capacity of sectors critical to national security and Americans' health.
    Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
Adjective
  • And for the current Bulls front office, that prototype is crystal clear — gangly, teenage wings who offer the potential of versatile playmaking in a raw, unproven package.
    Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 27 June 2025
  • But a local coach nicknamed Taha noticed a gangly, tall-for-his-age 7-year-old and invited him to play for the AAU program Banneker Kings.
    Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 25 June 2025
Adjective
  • Nolan Traoré, France An intriguing but very slender point guard, the 6-3 teenager should be a first-rounder.
    Tim Reynolds, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2025
  • Lively became mostly famous for, well, being Blake Lively: tall, slender, beautiful, and suspiciously perfect — a patron saint for the Instagram age.
    David Mack, Rolling Stone, 10 June 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lanky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lanky. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on lanky

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!