slender

adjective

slen·​der ˈslen-dər 

1

a

: spare in frame or flesh

especially : gracefully slight

b

: small or narrow in circumference or width in proportion to length or height

2

: limited or inadequate in amount or scope : meager

people of slender means

slenderly adverb

slenderness noun

Synonyms of slender

• thin
• narrow
• skinny

Choose the Right Synonym for slender

thin, slender, slim, slight, tenuous mean not thick, broad, abundant, or dense.

thin implies comparatively little extension between surfaces or in diameter, or it may imply lack of substance, richness, or abundance.

thin wire

a thin soup

slender implies leanness or spareness often with grace and good proportion.

the slender legs of a Sheraton chair

slim applies to slenderness that suggests fragility or scantiness.

a slim volume of poetry

a slim chance

slight implies smallness as well as thinness.

a slight build

tenuous implies extreme thinness, sheerness, or lack of substance and firmness.

a tenuous thread

Examples of slender in a Sentence

She has a slender figure.

a flower with a slender stem

an animal with a long, slender snout

Recent Examples on the Web

Police vaguely described the suspect as an African American man with a slender build, who was last seen wearing a black winter hat and a tan or brown jacket. —Jeramie Bizzle, CBS News, 20 Dec. 2025

There was Josephine’s Next Million Miles playing what felt like a single continuous organism of a set at Windjammer in Ridgewood; Bleeder snuggled tightly in the slender chamber of Pete’s Candy Store; Damian Taxidermi jamming in some basement on the edge of Bushwick and in the back room at Piano’s. —Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 17 Dec. 2025

The shoes featured a pointed toe, tall heel and two slender buckled straps across the vamp. —Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 16 Dec. 2025

With his trademark military fatigues, slender Cohiba cigars, and marathon speeches vilifying Uncle Sam, Castro captured the imaginations of aspiring revolutionaries and millions of others around the world. —Brian Winter, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English sclendre, slendre, from Anglo-French esclendre

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for slender

• bender
• blender
• fender
• gender
• lender
• mender
• prendre
• render
• sender
• splendor
• tender
• vender

Kids Definition

slender

adjective

slen·​der ˈslen-dər 

1

: thin entry 1 sense 1, slim

2

: limited or not enough in amount : meager

a slender income

slenderly adverb

slenderness noun