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

But microscopic skeletal details also revealed a decent percentage of these reptiles didn’t only succumb to the food chain. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 20 Aug. 2026

An investigation is underway following the discovery of human skeletal remains Tuesday in South San Jose, police said. — Jason Green, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2026

The Endocrine Society reports that significant skeletal loss can happen during menopause and roughly one in 10 women over 60 worldwide are affected by osteoporosis. — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 19 Aug. 2026

The move further bolsters BioMarin’s unit focused on rare skeletal conditions, a portfolio anchored by its drug Voxzogo. — Brad Quick,anna Rodin, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2026