rawboned

adjective

Definition of rawbonednext
as in angular
having a prominent and often large or rugged bone structure The cowboy was tall and rawboned.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Example 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
  1. angular
  2. slender
  3. lean
  4. skinny
  5. bony
  6. thin
Adjective
  • The shift among women from angular, contoured sphinx to a softer, cleaner (albeit highly buffed and polished) look has also been reflected in men.
    — José Criales-Unzueta, Vogue, 8 Apr. 2025
  • For angular faces, subtle brow clutter can soften the features and balance the overall look.
    — Dulce Moncada, Glamour, 7 Apr. 2025
Definition of angular
Adjective
  • The three super skinny pen tips can go from creating impossibly slender, seemingly real brow strokes to a cluster of freckles across the cheeks much like a stamp.
    — Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 9 Apr. 2025
  • But Cummings prefers to mail the slender tubes back to Crown Bees, which will care for them over the winter.
    — Martha Ann Overland, NPR, 6 Apr. 2025
Definition of slender
Adjective
  • Coreopsis verticillata Sun Exposure: Full sun Soil Type: Dry to medium, well-draining, lean Soil pH: Acidic to neutral (5.5-7.0) USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 9 With airy foliage and sunny daisy-like blooms, threadleaf coreopsis may look delicate but this native perennial is one tough plant.
    — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 13 Apr. 2025
  • Americans are advised to eat more fruits and vegetables, include a variety of protein sources—seafood, lean meats, poultry, eggs, legumes, soy products, and unsalted nuts/seeds—and opt for protein sources lower in solid fats and calories.
    — Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Apr. 2025
Definition of lean
Adjective
  • The TikTok comments were replete with speculation that the friends may have even been skinny dipping—though Horton declined to confirm this.
    — Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025
  • As an elder millennial, that meant skinny jeans — the hallmark of my generation.
    — Kayla Kitts, Travel + Leisure, 7 Apr. 2025
Definition of skinny
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
Definition of bony
Adjective
  • The water pressure then causes the vehicle to rise and slide on a thin layer of water between the tires and the road, making the driver lose control.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Probably because its seven episodes constitute only a partial adaptation of The Last of Us Part II, whereas the nine-part first season covered the entire original game, the story is stretched too thin.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 7 Apr. 2025
Definition of thin

Browse Nearby Words

raw
rawboned
raw deal
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Cite this Entry

“Rawboned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rawboned. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.

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