WIRY Synonyms: 84 Similar and Opposite Words

wiry

adjective

Definition of wiry

as in scrawny

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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 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 And in a nation known for its tall people, the legendary Dutchman Johan Cruyff wasn’t exactly a giant at 5 feet 10 inches with a wiry frame. — Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for wiry

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wiry

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

The actress wore a design from Gucci’s pre-fall 2026 collection — a black dress that embraced asymmetry with a one-sleeve design contrasted by an angular skirt with a thigh-high element to one side and contrasting train on the other.

— Julia Teti, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2026
On screen, Guitarrica’s expressive and angular visage conveys the fright and uncertainty that afflict his character, who is desperate for tenderness.

— Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of angular

Adjective

Above its three-story concrete lower walls the gallery’s structure becomes a lean, self-supporting steel diagrid (think of a giant Erector Set) that wraps around the orbiter without interior walls or columns.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
Centralizing institutional knowledge in a small number of staff produces a leaner organization.

— Erik Clarke, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of lean

Adjective

Even the two slender shoulder straps emerge from pointed leather tabs that recall the workmanship of a saddle.

— Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 1 Nov. 2026
Having grossed a gargantuan $522 million worldwide (on a slender sub-$1 million production budget), Obsession now stands as this year’s highest profile showcase for cinematic noggin smashing.

— Chris Lee, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of slender

Adjective

Since the beginning of the episode, Lee’s been tailed by McMann’s skinny accomplice — the guy Ginger shot in the neck at the end of the season premiere.

— Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026
His long tusks were pale white; the bottoms of his feet splayed out wide under his skinny legs, the better to stabilize on sand.

— Samantha Falewée, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of skinny

Adjective

The team’s mesh consists of a grid of ultrathin ribbons of polymer with a thin conductive wire of platinum running through them.

— Edd Gent, IEEE Spectrum, 29 Oct. 2026
Scientists fired terahertz radiation, a form of low-frequency invisible light, straight through the ultra-thin samples.

— Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of thin

Browse Nearby Words

wirra

wiry

wisdom

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“Wiry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wiry. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of wiry

adjective

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