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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 skeletal
Fans familiar with 1985’s beat-tastic, falsetto-fluttery, Technicolor masterpiece Cupid & Psyche 85 may blanch at Songs to Remember’s wispy skeletal attempts at dub and acoustic pop (especially since the album has, until now, been out of print and unavailable on streaming).
—
Alfred Soto, Pitchfork, 11 Apr. 2026
Aside from that, the staging is generally more skeletal.
—Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 10 Apr. 2026
Archaeologists also found human skeletal remains — believed to belong to monks — along with wall paintings and architectural features.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 8 Apr. 2026
Gilbert’s skeletal remains are discovered in a tidal marsh near Oak Beach.
—ABC News, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for skeletal
Alfred Soto, Pitchfork, 11 Apr. 2026
Aside from that, the staging is generally more skeletal.
—Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 10 Apr. 2026
Archaeologists also found human skeletal remains — believed to belong to monks — along with wall paintings and architectural features.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 8 Apr. 2026
Gilbert’s skeletal remains are discovered in a tidal marsh near Oak Beach.
—ABC News, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for skeletal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skeletal
Adjective
-
In the courtroom, Alfortish’s face looked gaunt after spending roughly a year in prison, and his hair, thinning now, had gone white.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
We’re introduced to its uncanny backdrop through the eyes of protagonist Heinrich, or Hein (Paul Boche), a gaunt young man who returns by boat after 14 years away.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Rocking back and forth nervously during a television appearance, a haggard-looking Diaz-Canel acknowledged the same talks, which his government had denied were taking place just days before.—
Patrick Oppmann,
CNN Money,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Wrexham, meanwhile, was near the bottom, struggling in England’s lowest division under a haggard fan-ownership group keeping it on life support.—
Justin Birnbaum,
Sportico.com,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Skeletal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skeletal. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
