wirier ˈwī-rē-ər How to pronounce wiry (audio) ; wiriest
1
a
archaic : made of wire
b
: resembling wire especially in form and flexibility
the wiry coat of the Irish terrier
wiry stems
c
of sound : produced by or suggestive of the vibration of wire
the violinist … often let his tone go nasal and wiryD. J. Henahan
2
: being lean, supple, and vigorous : sinewy
the wiry figure of a long-distance runnerPhoenix Flame
wirily adverb
wiriness noun

Examples of wiry in a Sentence

a man with long, wiry arms She was lean and wiry from years of working out. He has dark, wiry hair.
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.
To clean the mesh grilles—the soft, wiry panels in the earbud—dip your toothbrush into a cup of micellar water, and while holding the earbud upright so the mesh is facing you, gently rub the bristles, in a circular motion, across each mesh panel for 15 seconds. Julia Ries, Outside Online, 14 Nov. 2024 Rogers, a slight man with wiry muscles built over decades of manual labor, moved into the apartment just before migrants from Venezuela began rolling into Denver. Anjeanette Damon, ProPublica, 4 Nov. 2024 At sixty-three, Levin still has a boyish demeanor, with wiry curls and a gap-toothed grin. Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2024 Lowe channels the ebullient, wiry sounds of Sun Records, Buddy Holly, Gene Vincent, Ricky Nelson, and the early British Invasion, and bends them to fit his own story. Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 13 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for wiry 

Word History

First Known Use

1588, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of wiry was in 1588

Dictionary Entries Near wiry

Cite this Entry

“Wiry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wiry. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

wiry

adjective
wirier ˈwī-rē-ər How to pronounce wiry (audio) ; wiriest
1
: resembling wire in form and flexibility
wiry stems
2
: being slender yet strong and muscular
a wiry physique

More from Merriam-Webster on wiry

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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