scrawny

adjective

Definition of scrawnynext
as in skinny
very thin in a way that is not attractive or healthy He changed from a scrawny kid to a brawny teen in just over a year. The only plants in their yard were a couple of scrawny bushes.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective scrawny contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of scrawny are gaunt, lanky, lank, lean, rawboned, skinny, and spare. While all these words mean "thin because of an absence of excess flesh," scrawny and skinny imply an extreme leanness that suggests deficient strength and vitality.

a scrawny chicken
skinny street urchins

When could gaunt be used to replace scrawny?

The words gaunt and scrawny can be used in similar contexts, but gaunt implies marked thinness or emaciation as from overwork or suffering.

a prisoner's gaunt face

When is lank a more appropriate choice than scrawny?

Although the words lank and scrawny have much in common, lank implies tallness as well as leanness.

the lank legs of the heron

In what contexts can lanky take the place of scrawny?

The synonyms lanky and scrawny are sometimes interchangeable, but lanky suggests awkwardness and loose-jointedness as well as thinness.

a lanky youth, all arms and legs

When is it sensible to use lean instead of scrawny?

While the synonyms lean and scrawny are close in meaning, lean stresses lack of fat and of curving contours.

a lean racehorse

When might rawboned be a better fit than scrawny?

While in some cases nearly identical to scrawny, rawboned suggests a large ungainly build without implying undernourishment.

a rawboned farmer

When can spare be used instead of scrawny?

In some situations, the words spare and scrawny are roughly equivalent. However, 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 scrawny Nestor Lorenzo has managed Rodriguez well so far (Jamie Squire/Getty Images) A decade ago, Diaz was a scrawny 17-year-old from Barrancas with dreams of becoming a professional player. —Felipe Cardenas, The Athletic, 12 July 2024 Industrial breeding turned the scrawny, two-and-a-half-pound chickens of the 1920s into today’s six-pounders. —Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 22 Oct. 2024 Here, the body of a scrawny Jesus gushes blood, sending a rivulet of scarlet down his crucifix and onto the ground below. —Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 11 Oct. 2024 And Texas football players in the fourth and fifth grade were not necessarily respectful of a scrawny kid with a violin. —Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 18 Sep. 2024 See All Example Sentences for scrawny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrawny
  1. skinny
  2. thin
  3. slender
Adjective
  • While perhaps not quite as controversial as skinny jeans or statement necklaces, peplum tops have had their fair share of lovers and haters.
    — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2025
  • Bieber's hair was pulled back from her face and gathered at the crown of her head, with two tendrils pulled out on either side to brush across her face and over her skinny sunglasses.
    — Kara Nesvig, Allure, 12 Mar. 2025
Definition of skinny
Adjective
  • Between the fingers, its consistency is thin and light.
    — Malia Griggs, Glamour, 14 Mar. 2025
  • Nori comes in thin, dry strips often wrapped around a sushi roll.
    — Adrienne Dellwo, Verywell Health, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of thin
Adjective
  • One of our editor’s go-to freckle stamps is the Tarte Faux Freckle Stamp, which has five slender points that create teensy dots with its buildable brown tint.
    — Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 9 Mar. 2025
  • Jana walked to the backyard, past Stephan’s burned and toppled basketball hoop, toward the pool, stepping over a strip of artificial grass, so green and bright, as if the fire had skipped over it, leaving a slender memory of what was.
    — Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2025
Definition of slender

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Cite this Entry

“Scrawny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrawny. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.

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