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 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 Shola Jimoh continues to show promise as a wiry 18-year-old attacker with Inter Toronto and has impressed Marsch in previous Canada camps. — Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 7 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 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
  • The question here is no longer whether routine HR tasks can be automated, but whether a lean enterprise can entirely decouple structural governance from human oversight.
    — Syed Ahmad, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Now after some very lean years, UConn football is being talked about.
    — Eric Womack, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of lean
Adjective
  • However, the Camille features a discreet and comfortable one-inch heel for a modern and slender silhouette that lifts the feet slightly off the ground.
    — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Some of them have panoramic views of white windmills, which dot the coastline of the Taiwan Strait like slender sentries.
    — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 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
  • With fewer trainees at the start of the talent pipeline, organizations are likely to face a thinner shortlist for the CFO seat in the future.
    — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The Rams are already thin at receiver in the wake of a hamstring injury suffered by Davante Adams during the Rams’ 18-16 defeat by the Arizona Cardinals last Sunday.
    — Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 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 27 Oct. 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 milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

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

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

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
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All