scrawny

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective scrawny contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of scrawny are gaunt, lanky, lank, lean, rawboned, skinny, and spare. While all these words mean "thin because of an absence of excess flesh," scrawny and skinny imply an extreme leanness that suggests deficient strength and vitality.

a scrawny chicken
skinny street urchins

When could gaunt be used to replace scrawny?

The words gaunt and scrawny can be used in similar contexts, but gaunt implies marked thinness or emaciation as from overwork or suffering.

a prisoner's gaunt face

When is lank a more appropriate choice than scrawny?

Although the words lank and scrawny have much in common, lank implies tallness as well as leanness.

the lank legs of the heron

In what contexts can lanky take the place of scrawny?

The synonyms lanky and scrawny are sometimes interchangeable, but lanky suggests awkwardness and loose-jointedness as well as thinness.

a lanky youth, all arms and legs

When is it sensible to use lean instead of scrawny?

While the synonyms lean and scrawny are close in meaning, lean stresses lack of fat and of curving contours.

a lean racehorse

When might rawboned be a better fit than scrawny?

While in some cases nearly identical to scrawny, rawboned suggests a large ungainly build without implying undernourishment.

a rawboned farmer

When can spare be used instead of scrawny?

In some situations, the words spare and scrawny are roughly equivalent. 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 scrawny As the Ratliff's scrawny, shy Lochlan, Nivola navigates some stormy waters, especially his character's disquieting relationships with siblings Saxon and Piper. Randall Colburn, EW.com, 31 Mar. 2025 The stray was scrawny, short-haired, and had a scratched and scarred nose. Barbara A. Perry, Newsweek, 27 Jan. 2025 Proctor was a scrawny 12-year-old surfing Malibu’s Second Point in the mid-1980s when Miod paddled up and introduced himself. Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2025 With that miniature battery, the company estimates the sports car could deliver a scrawny 250-kilometer range on Europe’s WLPT cycle, which equates to roughly 200 km (125 miles) by U.S. measures. IEEE Spectrum, 15 July 2024 See All Example Sentences for scrawny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrawny
Adjective
  • The teens proceeded to go skinny dipping, and upon emerging from the water, Abdela was freezing.
    Alex Gurley, People.com, 23 May 2025
  • Dyson has officially unveiled its skinniest vacuum yet: the new PencilVac, which measures just 38mm in diameter.
    Paul Lamkin, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
Adjective
  • While Paul is still remarkably good for someone at his experience level, the novelty of his act has been wearing thin.
    Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 25 May 2025
  • And was there ever, complete with Angus Young, knobby knees and thin ankles, scampering, duck-walking and hopping from place to place.
    Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 25 May 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Scrawny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrawny. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

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