rawboned

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective rawboned contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of rawboned are gaunt, lanky, lank, lean, scrawny, skinny, and spare. While all these words mean "thin because of an absence of excess flesh," rawboned suggests a large ungainly build without implying undernourishment.

a rawboned farmer

When might gaunt be a better fit than rawboned?

While the synonyms gaunt and rawboned are close in meaning, gaunt implies marked thinness or emaciation as from overwork or suffering.

a prisoner's gaunt face

When is it sensible to use lank instead of rawboned?

The words lank and rawboned are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, lank implies tallness as well as leanness.

the lank legs of the heron

When can lanky be used instead of rawboned?

In some situations, the words lanky and rawboned are roughly equivalent. However, lanky suggests awkwardness and loose-jointedness as well as thinness.

a lanky youth, all arms and legs

When could lean be used to replace rawboned?

Although the words lean and rawboned have much in common, lean stresses lack of fat and of curving contours.

a lean racehorse

How do scrawny and skinny relate to one another, in the sense of rawboned?

Both scrawny and skinny imply an extreme leanness that suggests deficient strength and vitality.

a scrawny chicken
skinny street urchins

When is spare a more appropriate choice than rawboned?

While in some cases nearly identical to rawboned, spare suggests leanness from abstemious living or constant exercise.

the gymnast's spare figure

Examples 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 rawboned Mitsouko softened Chypre’s rawboned extremes, imparting a creamy peach glow to the whole. Noy Thrupkaew, Washington Post, 21 Apr. 2021 Kirschling, a rawboned young man from Wisconsin, had written a master’s thesis at Columbia about long-term productivity decline in New York City’s mass transit. William Finnegan, The New Yorker, 2 July 2018 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rawboned
Adjective
  • Modena has, quite sensibly, not messed with the Shamal’s gloriously angular shape too much on the MA-01.
    Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 5 Nov. 2024
  • The brand’s green and black color schemes make a prominent statement throughout, as the choice of angular glass and earthy marble alludes to the brand’s multi-sensorial meeting points between nature and science.
    Jessica Ourisman, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • Police released a vague description of the assailant: A slender man in his 30s wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, black cargo pants and a surgical mask.
    Robert Salonga, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
  • House: Democrats only need to pick up four seats to flip the House, and whichever party gains control is likely to have a slender majority.
    Dave Lawler, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Treatments for abnormal ferritin levels may include eating iron-rich foods like lean salmon, leafy green vegetables, and beans.
    Lindsay Curtis, Health, 5 Nov. 2024
  • Harris’s transition team, led by Yohannes Abraham, is low-profile and lean.
    Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 1 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • An overweight cat has left the internet in stitches for trying to muscle in on her skinnier sibling's meal.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
  • However, the singer and actress has found a foolproof combo that will become a possible solution for all those who resist wearing skinny jeans as the trends dictate again.
    Tatiana Ojea, Glamour, 3 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Lift your hips off the ground and place a block underneath your sacrum, the widest, boniest part of your pelvis.
    Cory Martin, Verywell Health, 16 Oct. 2024
  • Differences in Adult Bones That being said, some adults are bonier than others.
    Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 3 Nov. 2023
Adjective
  • In 2016, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton beat Trump 4-2 in the town and carried the state by a razor thin margin of 0.4 points.
    Siladitya Ray, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
  • Always dry thoroughly, heat on the stovetop until completely dry, and apply a thin layer of oil or shortening.
    Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 5 Nov. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near rawboned

Cite this Entry

“Rawboned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rawboned. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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