wiry

adjective

ˈwī(-ə)r-ē 

wirier ˈwī-rē-ər  ; 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

2

: being lean, supple, and vigorous : sinewy

the wiry figure of a long-distance runner

—Phoenix Flame

wirily

ˈwī-rə-lē 

adverb

wiriness

ˈwī-rē-nəs 

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

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

The 61-year-old Englishman went through a grueling regimen of diet, running and weight training to carve out a muscular, wiry frame for Odysseus. —Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Sep. 2024

The pouch was crossed by three curving seams that were knotted shut with railroad tracks of black wiry thread. —Caleb Crain, The New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1588, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

wiry

adjective

ˈwī(ə)r-ē 

wirier ˈwī-rē-ər  ; wiriest

1

: resembling wire in form and flexibility

wiry stems

2

: being slender yet strong and muscular

a wiry physique