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 On an unremarkable clay tennis court in the Spanish city of Alicante, watched on by only a handful of spectators, two teenagers swipe the ball to one another with surprising vigor, belying their scrawny, adolescent frames. George Ramsay, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2025 Many fans saw a scrawny 19-year-old who had been dropped as No 1 by a smaller club in the same league. Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2025 The Patient’s Friends Hospital overflows with parents bringing in scrawny children – 200 to 300 cases a day, said Soboh. Wafaa Shurafa, Chicago Tribune, 25 July 2025 Hundreds of malnourished kids brought daily The Patient’s Friends Hospital overflows with parents bringing in scrawny children – 200 to 300 cases a day, said Soboh. Wafaa Shurafa, Twin Cities, 25 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for scrawny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrawny
Adjective
  • Crafted in Italy, the roomy, slip-on silhouette boasted a silver-tone leather upper, as well as a pointy toe and skinny 105mm stiletto heel.
    Kelsey Stewart, Footwear News, 26 Oct. 2025
  • To portray the famous couple, Kourtney wore a mesh T-shirt, studded leather pants and a curly blonde wig, while the Blink-182 drummer wore a leather jacket, skinny jeans and a spiked black wig.
    Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Instead of a hearty stew of beans, meat, and spices like cumin and chili powder, Skyline or Cincinnati chili is a thinner, slightly sweet meat sauce with strong notes of cinnamon, cloves, and allspice.
    Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 23 Oct. 2025
  • What the team found instead was a thin layer of clay, less than one-hundredth of an inch thick, which had formed on top of the animals’ skin.
    Amanda Schupak, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The minimalist silhouette is set on a slender 110mm stiletto heel, and features a delicate crossover toe strap, three straps over the back of the foot and slim straps around the ankle that give it a barely-there finish.
    Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2025
  • The long, slender necks and arched stems of Bosc pears, the round, silhouette of Comice.
    Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 20 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Scrawny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrawny. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

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