lanky

adjective

ˈlaŋ-kē 

lankier; lankiest

: ungracefully tall and thin

lankily

ˈlaŋ-kə-lē 

adverb

lankiness

ˈlaŋ-kē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• gangling
• gangly
• rangy
• spindling
• spindly

Choose the Right Synonym for lanky

lean, spare, lank, lanky, gaunt, rawboned, scrawny, skinny mean thin because of an absence of excess flesh.

lean stresses lack of fat and of curving contours.

a lean racehorse

spare suggests leanness from abstemious living or constant exercise.

the gymnast's spare figure

lank implies tallness as well as leanness.

the lank legs of the heron

lanky suggests awkwardness and loose-jointedness as well as thinness.

a lanky youth, all arms and legs

gaunt implies marked thinness or emaciation as from overwork or suffering.

a prisoner's gaunt face

rawboned suggests a large ungainly build without implying undernourishment.

a rawboned farmer

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

a scrawny chicken

skinny street urchins

Examples of lanky in a Sentence

the lanky basketball star was great at slam-dunking

Recent Examples on the Web

Their common name is derived from their prehensile tails, some as long as three feet, which the animals use along with their disproportionately lanky limbs to grasp branches and other objects. —Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 2 Jan. 2025

There might have been a little fear of a 6-6 lanky kid who was looking pretty solid. —James L. Edwards Iii, The Athletic, 1 Jan. 2025

Give the Plant a Trim In summer poinsettias grow tall and lanky by nature. —Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Dec. 2024

He’s got a whole team scouring the subway for a tall, lanky, besuited man challenging down-on-their-luck strangers to one-on-one ddakji. —Ben Travers, IndieWire, 26 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1818, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

lanky

adjective

ˈlaŋ-kē 

lankier; lankiest

: being tall, thin, and usually loose-jointed

a lanky teenager

lankily

-kə-lē 

adverb

lankiness

-kē-nəs 

noun