wiry
adjective
wirier
ˈwī-rē-ər 
; wiriest
; 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 wiry—
D. J. Henahan
D. J. Henahan2
: being lean, supple, and vigorous : sinewy
the wiry figure of a long-distance runner—Phoenix Flame
Phoenix FlameExamples 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
The crew also included a taxi driver from Brooklyn, a Dartmouth College student, and a wiry fisherman and seal hunter with endless stories of peril at sea.
—David Wolman, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Jan. 2025
The wiry 6-foot-4, 203-pound Sasaki went 30-15 with a 2.02 ERA in 69 games over four seasons in Japan, striking out 524 and walking 91 in 414 ⅔ innings.
—Mike Digiovanna, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2024
Whereas both Stiller and Scott are wiry and shipshape in their appearance, Erickson was stubbly and dressed in baggy jeans and Blundstones—the standard uniform of the rumpled screenwriter.
—Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
Ned Griffen has obsessively covered state high school football since the mid-nineties, back when Dan Orlovsky was just a wiry teenager at Shelton High School.
—Ned Griffen, Hartford Courant, 16 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for wiry 
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.
David Wolman, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Jan. 2025
The wiry 6-foot-4, 203-pound Sasaki went 30-15 with a 2.02 ERA in 69 games over four seasons in Japan, striking out 524 and walking 91 in 414 ⅔ innings.
—Mike Digiovanna, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2024
Whereas both Stiller and Scott are wiry and shipshape in their appearance, Erickson was stubbly and dressed in baggy jeans and Blundstones—the standard uniform of the rumpled screenwriter.
—Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
Ned Griffen has obsessively covered state high school football since the mid-nineties, back when Dan Orlovsky was just a wiry teenager at Shelton High School.
—Ned Griffen, Hartford Courant, 16 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for wiry
Dictionary Entries Near wiry
Cite this Entry
“Wiry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wiry. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share