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

• fine
• hairline
• narrow
• needlelike
• paper-thin
• skinny
• slim
• slim-jim
• thin
• ultrathin

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

Native to Central and South America, money trees are popular houseplants with glossy green leaves and slender trunks, which are often braided for aesthetics. —Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Jan. 2025

Each one is about 8 feet (2.4 meters) long, powered by four slender thrusters, and requires three sailors to carefully maneuver it above the water before dropping it the last foot into the sea. —Sarah Dean, CNN, 27 Jan. 2025

That group wrote computer code to identify the barns’ long, slender outline, finding what looked, at first, like 27,000 individual barns. —Gavin Off, Charlotte Observer, 26 Jan. 2025

In the third such event of 2025, a glance to the southwest immediately after dark will herald a spectacular view of a very slender, 5%-illuminated waxing crescent moon close to Venus shining at magnitude -4.8. —Jamie Carter, Space.com, 28 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English sclendre, slendre, from Anglo-French esclendre

First Known Use

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

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