gangly

adjective

gan·​gly ˈgaŋ-glē How to pronounce gangly (audio)
ganglier; gangliest
1
a
: tall and thin and moving with a loose-jointed awkwardness : lanky, gangling
It is a cool night in San Jose, and gangly teenagers stream toward the Gunderson gym.Chris Ballard
b
: long and thin
His linen suit was appropriately rumpled … and his gangly legs were jacked up against the glove box, as he resisted suggestions to slide his seat back.Cara Buckley
2
of a plant : having a tall and sparse appearance : lacking fullness
These tall (to 8 feet), sometimes gangly shrubs bear cup-shaped, strong-scented flowers.Michael MacCaskey

Examples of gangly in a Sentence

a gangly teenager who was born to play varsity basketball
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.
Nate leaps into action-hero mode, and the film’s mayhem blowouts include a multi-weapon melee in a restaurant kitchen, leaving our gangly hero horribly burned but quite chipper about it, since his adversary is less fortunate. Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2025 The gangly physicality of Pellerin’s performance also helps keep us guessing about how far Matt will go and whether his victories will hold. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019 Bringing a skittish, awkward energy that contrasted with Letterman’s deadpan persona, O’Brien constantly made fun of his own gangly appearance and inappropriateness for the job. Ashraf Khalil, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2025 The stars here, however, are the gangly, majestic pink flamingos feeding in estuary grasses. Alex Crevar, New York Times, 11 July 2024 See All Example Sentences for gangly

Word History

Etymology

probably from gangl(ing) + -y entry 1

First Known Use

1871, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of gangly was in 1871

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Cite this Entry

“Gangly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gangly. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

gangly

adjective
gan·​gly ˈgaŋ-glē How to pronounce gangly (audio)
ganglier; gangliest
: loosely and awkwardly built : lanky

More from Merriam-Webster on gangly

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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