rawboned

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective rawboned contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of rawboned are gaunt, lanky, lank, lean, scrawny, skinny, and spare. While all these words mean "thin because of an absence of excess flesh," rawboned suggests a large ungainly build without implying undernourishment.

a rawboned farmer

When might gaunt be a better fit than rawboned?

While the synonyms gaunt and rawboned are close in meaning, gaunt implies marked thinness or emaciation as from overwork or suffering.

a prisoner's gaunt face

When is it sensible to use lank instead of rawboned?

The words lank and rawboned are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, lank implies tallness as well as leanness.

the lank legs of the heron

When can lanky be used instead of rawboned?

In some situations, the words lanky and rawboned are roughly equivalent. However, lanky suggests awkwardness and loose-jointedness as well as thinness.

a lanky youth, all arms and legs

When could lean be used to replace rawboned?

Although the words lean and rawboned have much in common, lean stresses lack of fat and of curving contours.

a lean racehorse

How do scrawny and skinny relate to one another, in the sense of rawboned?

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

a scrawny chicken
skinny street urchins

When is spare a more appropriate choice than rawboned?

While in some cases nearly identical to rawboned, spare suggests leanness from abstemious living or constant exercise.

the gymnast's spare figure

Examples 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 rawboned Mitsouko softened Chypre’s rawboned extremes, imparting a creamy peach glow to the whole. Noy Thrupkaew, Washington Post, 21 Apr. 2021 Kirschling, a rawboned young man from Wisconsin, had written a master’s thesis at Columbia about long-term productivity decline in New York City’s mass transit. William Finnegan, The New Yorker, 2 July 2018 Like so many in Lincoln Heights, this tiny, rawboned 89-year-old woman had lived through a time of gang violence, high crime and police oppression. Brittny Mejia, Joe Mozingo, www.latimes.com, 3 Apr. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rawboned
Adjective
  • The Birds collection—particularly its translucent cling film dress—and experimenting with compression and distortion through sculptural knitwear, sharply angular silhouettes, and shoes inspired by horses and goats.
    Hayley Maitland, Vogue, 16 Dec. 2024
  • That’s likely because of his angular pickup’s rigidity.
    Carlton Reid, WIRED, 15 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Females tend to gain weight until about age 65.7 As a result, older adults may become more slender.
    Mark Gurarie, Health, 14 Dec. 2024
  • Eby’s New Democratic Party won a slender majority in the October election, extending his tenure as premier.
    Gene Maddaus, Variety, 13 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Despite a value lean, USA is surprisingly competitive.
    Brett Owens, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
  • Flavor profile: Pork loin has a mild flavor and rich taste from the fat cap, while pork tenderloin offers an even milder flavor and a lean, delicate texture.
    Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 22 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Meme to Bestsellers: How Barrel Jeans Became Denim’s Biggest Trend Slim, straight, skinny, bootcut, flare, boyfriend and wide leg have all earned their place on the menu and have faced little to no competition from new fits.
    Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 27 Dec. 2024
  • The new rules implemented at the beginning of 2024 were less impactful to the everyday/non-tournament player, but did include a couple of provisional items related to rally scoring and skinny singles, methods of playing that were officially recognized for the first time.
    Todd Boss, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Lift your hips off the ground and place a block underneath your sacrum, the widest, boniest part of your pelvis.
    Cory Martin, Verywell Health, 16 Oct. 2024
  • Differences in Adult Bones That being said, some adults are bonier than others.
    Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 3 Nov. 2023
Adjective
  • But at the heart, the Whiteout V2 is still a player’s stick, with a 98-square-inch head and thinner beam for players with faster swing speeds.
    Tim Newcomb, Forbes, 1 Jan. 2025
  • The major indexes were each down about 1% Monday on thin trading.
    Sara Salinas, CNBC, 31 Dec. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near rawboned

Cite this Entry

“Rawboned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rawboned. Accessed 4 Jan. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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