Synonyms of slender

slender

adjective

ˈslen-dər 

1

as in thin

being of less than usual width

graceful, slender table legs

Synonyms & Similar Words

• thin
• narrow
• skinny
• slim
• fine
• needlelike
• elongated
• tight
• linear
• ultrathin
• paper-thin
• close
• elongate
• spare
• condensed
• compressed
• slim-jim
• tightened
• lanky
• willowy
• squeezed
• hairline
• attenuated
• spindly
• constricted
• wispy
• reedy
• rangy
• stringy
• contracted
• twiggy
• lank
• stalky
• attenuate
• bottleneck
• shoestring

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• wide
• broad
• fat
• stocky
• thick
• stumpy
• thickset
• chunky
• squat
• voluminous
• bulky
• massive
• thickish
• widish

2

as in skinny

having a noticeably small amount of body fat

unsurprisingly, the aerobics instructor is slender and athletic

Synonyms & Similar Words

• skinny
• thin
• bony
• lean
• slim
• angular
• gaunt
• svelte
• skeletal
• lithe
• trim
• boney
• fatless
• haggard
• spare
• willowy
• wiry
• lanky
• scrawny
• sinewy
• spindly
• rawboned
• sylphlike
• reedy
• weedy
• stringy
• clean-limbed
• lank
• twiggy
• rangy
• scraggy
• waspish
• meagre
• anorexic
• emaciated
• meager
• wizened
• puny
• anorectic
• pinched
• cadaverous
• slight
• anoretic
• spindling
• wasted

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• plump
• chubby
• corpulent
• fat
• stocky
• rotund
• thick
• fleshy
• obese
• overweight
• bulky
• stout
• portly
• heavy
• beefy
• gross
• chunky
• thickset
• tubby
• weighty
• heavyset
• burly
• stubby
• brawny
• husky
• pudgy
• dumpy
• squat
• paunchy
• soft
• flabby
• potbellied
• buxom
• full
• round
• roly-poly
• hippy
• zaftig
• zoftig

3

as in sparse

less plentiful than what is normal, necessary, or desirable

people of slender means simply can't afford those prices

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sparse
• scarce
• poor
• slim
• meagre
• meager
• skimpy
• small
• scanty
• lowest
• scant
• short
• light
• lacking
• exiguous
• stingy
• spare
• sparing
• insufficient
• thin
• mere
• inadequate
• niggardly
• thin on the ground
• minimal
• hand-to-mouth
• deficient
• skimp
• least
• slightest
• wanting
• littlest
• bare-bones
• bare
• sterile
• slight
• unfruitful
• barren
• unproductive
• infertile

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• generous
• ample
• abundant
• adequate
• sufficient
• liberal
• plentiful
• copious
• enough
• satisfactory
• bountiful
• rich
• fat
• fertile
• prolific
• fruitful
• tolerable
• plenteous
• lavish
• luxuriant
• extra
• fecund
• flourishing
• bursting
• thriving
• proliferative
• excess
• surplus
• blooming
• teeming
• swarming

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective slender contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of slender are slight, slim, tenuous, and thin. While all these words mean "not thick, broad, abundant, or dense," slender implies leanness or spareness often with grace and good proportion.

the slender legs of a Sheraton chair

When is slight a more appropriate choice than slender?

The words slight and slender are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, slight implies smallness as well as thinness.

a slight build

When would slim be a good substitute for slender?

The words slim and slender can be used in similar contexts, but slim applies to slenderness that suggests fragility or scantiness.

a slim volume of poetry

a slim chance

In what contexts can tenuous take the place of slender?

Although the words tenuous and slender have much in common, tenuous implies extreme thinness, sheerness, or lack of substance and firmness.

a tenuous thread

When might thin be a better fit than slender?

While the synonyms thin and slender are close in meaning, thin implies comparatively little extension between surfaces or in diameter, or it may imply lack of substance, richness, or abundance.

thin wire

a thin soup

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of slender

Simpson and Mazzoli were something of an odd couple: Simpson, a Republican, was tall and slender, gregarious, and even a little corny, whereas Mazzoli, a Democrat, was short and compact, quieter and reserved. —David Hiller, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2025

Hadid—tall, slender, and makeup-free—is dressed in black Nike sweatpants and a pullover from her cashmere knitwear line, Guest in Residence, her hair pulled up halfway. —Chloe Schama, Vogue, 11 Mar. 2025

The plot is slender and shameless, as the streetwise Anuja navigates a realm of Dickensian adults — some looking to exploit her, others determined to steer Anuja to a better future. —Peter Debruge, Variety, 2 Mar. 2025

Scattered across a chain of subtropical islands in southwestern Japan, buried under rocks, or deep within the region’s humid soil, researchers discovered seven new species with segmented bodies and dozens of slender legs. —Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 19 Mar. 2025