spindly

adjective

ˈspin(d)-lē How to pronounce spindly (audio)
Definition of spindlynext
as in gaunt
being tall, thin and usually loose-jointed spindly, underfed dogs roamed the poverty-stricken village

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example 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 spindly This one, by Adrián Xuana (San Martín Tilcajete, Oaxaca), is a towering, spindly incarnation of a xoloitzcuintli, those hairless Mexican dogs believed to guide spirits through the underworld. — Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 July 2026 The result is a bulbous body covered in scraggly fur atop four spindly legs, a stout head and little to no neck. — Drew Pittock, USA Today, 25 July 2026 Across this paradise the finch-like honeycreeper flits, feeding off the red spindly flowers of the evergreen ‘ōhi‘a lehua tree. — Literary Hub, 20 July 2026 Too few nutrients, or not enough fertilizer, for petunias looks like leggy, spindly growth, pale color, few or no blooms, and slow growth. — Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for spindly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spindly
  1. gaunt
  2. skinny
  3. lanky
  4. thin
  5. bony
  6. gangly
  7. slender
Adjective
  • As her pregnancy progressed, Kabita’s belly swelled while the rest of her remained gaunt.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • On the first day of the hearing, July 22, Salah Sarsour's brother, Mohammad Sarsour, testified that his brother appeared gaunt and dirty and complained of pain and inadequate medical care during his detention in an Israeli jail.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of gaunt
Adjective
  • The junior right-hander can be rolling to his left, then plant, turn and fire a pass, with his long, skinny arm, 60 yards downfield and right on the money.
    — Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2026
  • While at the airport, the singer wore skinny jeans and a white tee, styled with bauble earrings and a black-and-white fringe jacket.
    — Kelsey Stiegman, InStyle, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of skinny
Adjective
  • On a recent afternoon, the lanky, mustachioed Zucker, wearing a T-shirt, ballcap and small hoop earrings, bears little resemblance to his comic alter ego who sports a tattered suit with gag props stuffed in every pocket.
    — Deputy Entertainment, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • How can this lanky kid, all 6-foot-2, 187 pounds of him, deliver the ball with such strength and distance?
    — Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of lanky
Adjective
  • Days turn crisp, aspens begin streaking the valley with gold and summer crowds thin in Grand Teton National Park.
    — Brittany Anas, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Unlike mainstream fusion projects such as tokamaks, the Texatron does not rely on giant superconducting magnets to hold a thin gas in place for long periods.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of thin
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
Definition of bony
Adjective
  • Some 17-year-olds are awkward, gangly teens who tend to do or say dumb things.
    — Caleb Otte, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2026
  • Some people hate nandina, but that’s the old varieties that get humongous and gangly.
    — Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 20 June 2026
Definition of gangly
Adjective
  • The tall, slender Berry imagined, chronicled and lived out his vision of a self-sustaining community in which no one had to ask where their food came from or the names of their neighbors.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Several other curved, slender bones were soon found nearby, according to pictures shared with the station.
    — Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of slender

Browse Nearby Words

spindling
spindly
spindrift
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Spindly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spindly. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dissonant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All