lanky

adjective

ˈlaŋ-kē How to pronounce lanky (audio)
lankier; lankiest
Synonyms of lanky
: ungracefully tall and thin
lankily
ˈlaŋ-kə-lē How to pronounce lanky (audio)
adverb
lankiness
ˈlaŋ-kē-nəs How to pronounce lanky (audio)
noun

Synonyms of lanky

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lean, spare, lank, lanky, gaunt, rawboned, scrawny, skinny mean thin because of an absence of excess flesh.

lean stresses lack of fat and of curving contours.

a lean racehorse

spare suggests leanness from abstemious living or constant exercise.

the gymnast's spare figure

lank implies tallness as well as leanness.

the lank legs of the heron

lanky suggests awkwardness and loose-jointedness as well as thinness.

a lanky youth, all arms and legs

gaunt implies marked thinness or emaciation as from overwork or suffering.

a prisoner's gaunt face

rawboned suggests a large ungainly build without implying undernourishment.

a rawboned farmer

scrawny and skinny imply an extreme leanness that suggests deficient strength and vitality.

a scrawny chicken
skinny street urchins

Examples of lanky in a Sentence

the lanky basketball star was great at slam-dunking
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
In person, Turner was tall, lanky and loud. — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 14 May 2026 Chris Brazzell, the team’s third-round pick, is a long, lanky wideout with notable downfield speed. — Charlotte Observer, 27 May 2026 The lanky lefty held his velocity, even adding some force, as his innings workload kept rising to new levels. — Matt Gelb, New York Times, 4 June 2026 Use a dwarf variety of this typically tall annual to avoid lanky flowers that could fall over. — Nellah Bailey McGough, Southern Living, 12 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for lanky

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1818, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lanky was circa 1818

Rhymes for lanky

See All Rhymes for lanky

Browse Nearby Words

lankness
lanky
lanner
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Cite this Entry

“Lanky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lanky. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

lanky

adjective
ˈlaŋ-kē How to pronounce lanky (audio)
lankier; lankiest
: being tall, thin, and usually loose-jointed
a lanky teenager
lankily
-kə-lē How to pronounce lanky (audio)
adverb
lankiness
-kē-nəs How to pronounce lanky (audio)
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on lanky

Nglish: Translation of lanky for Spanish Speakers

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