scrawny

adjective

scraw·​ny ˈskrȯ-nē How to pronounce scrawny (audio)
scrawnier; scrawniest
: exceptionally thin and slight or meager in body or size
scrawny scrub cattle
scrawniness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for scrawny

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 scrawny in a Sentence

The only plants in their yard were a couple of scrawny bushes.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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 The 17-inch wheels and radial rubber are nearly twice as wide as the classic Mustang’s scrawny 15-inch originals, with markedly better grip. Lawrence Ulrich, Robb Report, 13 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for scrawny 

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1833, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of scrawny was in 1833

Dictionary Entries Near scrawny

Cite this Entry

“Scrawny.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scrawny. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

scrawny

adjective
scraw·​ny ˈskrȯ-nē How to pronounce scrawny (audio)
scrawnier; scrawniest
: poorly nourished : skinny
scrawniness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on scrawny

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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