Synonyms of skeletal

skeletal

adjective

ˈske-lə-tᵊl 

as in gaunt

suffering extreme weight loss as a result of hunger or disease

the stray kitten's skeletal body was pitiful to look at

Synonyms & Similar Words

• gaunt
• haggard
• bony
• emaciated
• starving
• starved
• cadaverous
• hungry
• skinny
• scrawny
• lanky
• thin
• wasted
• sinewy
• lank
• undernourished
• underfed
• rawboned
• scraggy
• wizened
• spare
• withered
• famished
• shriveled

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• healthy
• burly
• beefy
• husky
• brawny
• fit
• hearty
• hale
• fleshy
• fat
• obese
• plump
• overweight
• stocky
• corpulent
• chubby
• rotund
• pudgy
• thickset
• portly
• tubby
• heavyset
• flabby
• soft
• roly-poly

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of skeletal

Males usually have larger skeletal frames, including bigger hands and feet, which can improve leverage and force production in many sports. — Jon Root Outkick, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 2026

Authorities say the skeletal remains of a man were discovered by hikers near the Oconee River Bridge by Interstate 85 in Jackson County in April 2008. — Dan Raby, CBS News, 31 July 2026

The case begins when skeletal remains surface during ceremonies marking the launch of a highway project, a discovery that puts Moosa Raza on the trail of an elusive prisoner named Mani. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 27 July 2026

Left to the elements, Hashima’s tower blocks have since collapsed into skeletal ruins, their corridors eroded by vegetation and sea spray. — Kieron Marchese, Architectural Digest, 27 July 2026