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 The lanky midfielder impacted the game by always being in the right place, rarely making mistakes, keeping the game simple with neat, tidy ball recoveries and pinpoint passes through spaces others rarely saw. Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 26 Sep. 2025 The lanky, smooth-skating center has also worked out in previous offseasons with Nathan MacKinnon, another vital member of Colorado’s leadership group who wholeheartedly endorsed Nelson’s arrival and the idea of keeping him. Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 15 Sep. 2025 Summer pruning helps remove lanky growth and improve airflow to discourage disease and pests. Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 11 Sep. 2025 Cut back stems that are long and lanky both to improve their appearance and to encourage fresh growth and possibly more flowers. Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for lanky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lanky
Adjective
  • And in a third, the gaunt 30-year-old killer flexes, purses his lips and squints.
    Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • The apparently recent footage showed two hostages -- Guy Gilboa-Dalal and Alon Ohel -- looking gaunt and exhausted while being driven around Gaza City.
    WAFAA SHURAFA, Arkansas Online, 7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Fashionistas have been swapping their skinny jeans for this roomier, more relaxed fit, but even the most trend-savvy shoppers are still hesitant to try the polarizing silhouette for themselves.
    Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 17 Oct. 2025
  • The large stout trees with thick gnarling branches of a few decades ago are now flimsy bushes skinnier than hydrangeas that stand under 10 feet tall and need to be propped up with wood and steel trellises.
    Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The mountains on either side of the water give way to towering canyon walls, spruce and pine thin out, and only stout dwarf willow and spindly alder remain.
    Chloe Berge, AFAR Media, 15 Oct. 2025
  • The doe’s eyes blinked on either side of a spindly trunk.
    Devon O’Neil, Outside, 15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The rangy 22-year-old was one of the C’s biggest preseason standouts, however, and should play an important role this season as an athletic chaos agent off the bench.
    Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 18 Oct. 2025
  • The rangy star has previously immersed himself in performances that require both physical transformation and pitching outside of his comfort zone (see his extraordinary work as abolitionist John Brown in the limited series The Good Lord Bird).
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The researchers overcame traditional size limitations by embedding thin but powerful actuators that respond to heat and pressure.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2025
  • France’s government survived a no-confidence vote in Parliament on Thursday by a thin margin, giving the country a brief respite from intense political turmoil before what is expected to be another brutal battle over its budget.
    Aurelien Breeden, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • An injured knee sidelined Misiorowski for the season, but Lallemand still considered the gangly teenager part of the team.
    Andy McCullough, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Brown had a gangly, disproportionate wingspan, great for ball-hawking (in basketball and football) but potentially obstructive to shooting mechanics.
    Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The slender aspens unfurl golden banners against the dark wall of evergreens.
    Roger Naylor, AZCentral.com, 10 Oct. 2025
  • The shoes featured a scalloped toe box in a pale pink hue, offset by gold slingback straps and slender matching heels.
    Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Lanky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lanky. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

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