wiry

adjective

Definition of wirynext
as in scrawny

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 wiry The stems are thin and wiry, and there are often multiple stems branching near the base. — Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 9 Sep. 2026 The Leeds quartet built a reputation on sardonic observations about modern life, packaging political unease inside wiry post-punk. — Sophie Miller, Rolling Stone, 19 July 2026 These flowering annuals produce an abundance of summer blooms on wiry stems. — Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 July 2026 When an Instagram video with nearly 100 million views likened his appearance to a green onion — its wiry roots standing in as his hair — Haaland responded in the comments with a side-eyeing dog GIF. — Kaitlyn Huamani, Fortune, 13 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for wiry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wiry
  1. scrawny
  2. sinewy
  3. rawboned
  4. angular
  5. lean
  6. slender
  7. skinny
  8. thin
Adjective
  • In contrast, Brady was scrawny, slow, and repeatedly picked last for games.
    — Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The comedy of Gilligan’s Island often centered on the interactions between the scrawny, clueless Gilligan and the rotund, impatient skipper.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of scrawny
Adjective
  • Putting his lean and sinewy physicality to disquieting use, McNairy makes Wilson both unreadable and coldly transparent, giving him equal parts menace and magnetism.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2026
  • One of Nebel’s major works was still there — The Wrestlers, a huge plaster work of two sinewy men locked in combat, which had been his thesis as a student.
    — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 30 July 2026
Definition of sinewy
Adjective
  • Like so many in Lincoln Heights, this tiny, rawboned 89-year-old woman had lived through a time of gang violence, high crime and police oppression.
    — Brittny Mejia, Joe Mozingo, www.latimes.com, 3 Apr. 2018
Definition of rawboned
Adjective
  • The angular, futuristic truck sells for $92,490 on Tesla’s website.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
  • The pickup’s unusual angular shape owed more to low-res video game models than any concessions to practicality.
    — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of angular
Adjective
  • The ultra-lean trimmings imported on the cheap have been frozen, possibly for years, intended to be mixed with fattier domestic meat to make ground beef.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 2 Nov. 2026
  • From weeks three through 12, they were allowed one structured meal of lean protein and vegetables each day alongside meal replacements, before shifting into a weight maintenance phase for the final 12 weeks.
    — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of lean
Adjective
  • Tough, hardy junipers come in many useful sizes and shapes, from trailing junipers that can work as ground covers to tall, slender trees.
    — Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 8 Nov. 2026
  • The metal legs and sinuous iron springs make this chair sturdy, yet a conveniently slender perch.
    — Brittany VanDerBill, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of slender
Adjective
  • Here are five ways to make ’70s boho blouses and skinny jeans feel like a fashion decision worth making again.
    — Georgia Brown, Glamour, 7 Nov. 2026
  • This fall, that means no skinny jeans, chunky dad sneakers, bags with logos, or all-black outfits.
    — Valeriya Chupinina, Travel + Leisure, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of skinny
Adjective
  • Its thin-film cadmium-telluride technology doesn't rely on the silicon supply chain.
    — Harvey Stober, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2026
  • In past years, people have repurposed the thin plastic from the signs to make school projects, as art canvases, and even model airplanes.
    — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of thin

Browse Nearby Words

wirra
wiry
wisdom
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wiry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wiry. Accessed 11 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of valorous

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All