lanky

adjective

ˈlaŋ-kē 

lankier; lankiest

: ungracefully tall and thin

lankily

ˈlaŋ-kə-lē 

adverb

lankiness

ˈlaŋ-kē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• gangling
• gangly
• rangy
• spindling
• spindly

Choose the Right Synonym for lanky

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

Staff Pick: The weird and wacky treasures at HomeGoods Jeff Greenberg / Universal Images Group via Getty Images A lanky horse statue. —Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 21 Nov. 2024

Carboni is a lanky, left-footed forward with a clean touch, and more importantly, the blessing of Messi. —Felipe Cardenas, The Athletic, 14 July 2024

The lanky lefty limited the Yankees to one run over six innings and improved to 3-0 with a 2.00 ERA in three career starts against them. —Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 23 June 2024

The star of the team, a lanky, brooding kid named Nataanii (Kusem Goodwind), has recently lost his mother and his sister in a drunk-driving accident. —A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 27 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1818, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

lanky

adjective

ˈlaŋ-kē 

lankier; lankiest

: being tall, thin, and usually loose-jointed

a lanky teenager

lankily

-kə-lē 

adverb

lankiness

-kē-nəs 

noun