gaunt

adjective

ˈgȯnt How to pronounce gaunt (audio)
ˈgänt
1
: excessively thin and angular
a long gaunt face
2
gauntly adverb
gauntness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for gaunt

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 gaunt in a Sentence

He left the hospital looking tired and gaunt. a gaunt factory on the edge of town
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Tall and thin, bordering on gaunt, he was dressed in blue jeans, a flannel shirt, an old Army jacket, work boots, gloves and a blue wool cap. Alanna Nash, Variety, 4 Mar. 2025 And Palestinian prisoners — some of whom also emerged from Israeli jails appearing gaunt — also embraced loved ones. Rawan Sheikh Ahmad, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025 In the distance, a line of tall gaunt leafless trees becomes visible. Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 17 Feb. 2025 The relief was a big change from the shock and fury that erupted in Israel last Saturday when Hamas released three gaunt and apparently malnourished hostages and forced them to thank their captors. Johnatan Reiss, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gaunt

Word History

Etymology

Middle English

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of gaunt was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gaunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gaunt. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

gaunt

adjective
ˈgȯnt How to pronounce gaunt (audio)
ˈgänt
1
: being thin and bony (as from hunger or suffering)
2
: grim and forbidding : barren, desolate
gaunt, leafless trees
gauntly adverb
gauntness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on gaunt

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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