skinny 1 of 2

adjective

ˈski-nē How to pronounce skinny (audio)
Definition of skinnynext
1
as in thin
being of less than usual width the tree swing was supported only by a couple of skinny branches

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in slender
having a noticeably small amount of body fat her grandmother was always insisting that she was too skinny and never tired of trying to force more food on her

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

skinny

2 of 2

noun

slang
as in scoop
information not generally available to the public a TV show that offers all the skinny on Tinseltown and the stars that light it up

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective skinny contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of skinny are gaunt, lanky, lank, lean, rawboned, scrawny, and spare. While all these words mean "thin because of an absence of excess flesh," scrawny and skinny imply an extreme leanness that suggests deficient strength and vitality.

a scrawny chicken
skinny street urchins

When is gaunt a more appropriate choice than skinny?

The meanings of gaunt and skinny largely overlap; however, 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 skinny?

While the synonyms lank and skinny are close in meaning, lank implies tallness as well as leanness.

the lank legs of the heron

Where would lanky be a reasonable alternative to skinny?

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

a lanky youth, all arms and legs

When can lean be used instead of skinny?

While in some cases nearly identical to skinny, lean stresses lack of fat and of curving contours.

a lean racehorse

When might rawboned be a better fit than skinny?

The synonyms rawboned and skinny are sometimes interchangeable, but rawboned suggests a large ungainly build without implying undernourishment.

a rawboned farmer

When could spare be used to replace skinny?

The words spare and skinny are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, spare suggests leanness from abstemious living or constant exercise.

the gymnast's spare figure

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 skinny
Adjective
Three skinny fries clumped together and dunked into your favorite condiment will always hit. —Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2025 Instead, Buy Lee Mom Jeans Are skinny jeans back in? —Chaunie Brusie, Parents, 7 July 2025
Noun
Stay tuned for Deadline’s Q&A with Blue Bloods EP Kevin Wade for the BTS skinny on the series finale. —Dominic Patten, Deadline, 13 Dec. 2024 The constant diet and exercise failures were frustrating, especially as a brown girl who was told that skinny is beautiful. —Syeda Saad, refinery29.com, 25 Sep. 2024 See All Example Sentences for skinny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skinny
  1. thin
  2. slender
  3. scoop
  4. narrow
  5. bony
  6. tip
  7. lean
  8. rumor
Adjective
  • Many houses, townhomes and apartment buildings in both the city and suburbs have only a few square feet of front yard, or are surrounded by a thin fringe of plantable area.
    — Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 12 July 2025
  • What is a ‘washable’ rug, anyway? Typically made of synthetic fibers like nylon or polypropylene, washable rugs are thinner and more lightweight than traditional rugs, especially in larger sizes.
    — The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 July 2025
Definition of thin
Adjective
  • As Artaserse, Kim’s performance took some time to ripen on Friday, his voice sometimes vanishingly slender and lagging behind the orchestra in his first aria to Semira.
    — Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 28 June 2025
  • Here again, binoculars will prove most beneficial in helping to find not only Pollux and Castor, but this exceedingly slender lunar sliver.
    — Joe Rao, Space.com, 24 June 2025
Definition of slender
Noun
  • Beneath the blazer of her power suit, Queen Letizia wore a white shirt with a rounded, scoop neckline.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 11 July 2025
  • Read more Chevron Courtesy of Amazon Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides Powder $27 $18 (33% off) Amazon Vital Proteins’ unflavored collagen powder mixes seamlessly into drinks or food, delivering 20g of grass-fed collagen per scoop for easy joint and skin support.
    — Parker Hall, Wired News, 9 July 2025
Definition of scoop
Adjective
  • The 2026 battle for the Senate Republicans currently control the U.S. Senate 53-47, a narrow majority that has nonetheless helped shepherd GOP priorities through Congress along party lines.
    — Riley Beggin, USA Today, 12 July 2025
  • Because the vehicle is so narrow, and because it would be classed as a motorcycle in most markets, Scholten envisions it being used to beat traffic congestion via lane-splitting (traveling between lanes of slow-moving or stopped traffic moving in the same direction).
    — Ben Coxworth July 11, New Atlas, 11 July 2025
Definition of narrow
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
Noun
  • The results included a step-by-step guide for hospital leaders to improve systems to support their employees, as well as tips and suggested language for leaders to discuss well-being and for workers to advocate for better policies.
    — Aneri Pattani, CBS News, 8 July 2025
  • This advisory is in effect until 8 p.m. Protect yourself during a heat wave with these tips from the NWS Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 8 July 2025
Definition of tip
Adjective
  • In theory, this model promises leaner, more responsive governance.
    — Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
  • The leaner workforce could impact UPS's operational capacity and affect the businesses and everyday customers who rely on its services.
    — Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 July 2025
Definition of lean
Noun
  • This report corroborates a previous rumor that the battery will have a lower capacity than most iPhones of recent years.
    — David Phelan, Forbes.com, 19 July 2025
  • However, the Friends actress might have slammed the door on those rumors.
    — Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 19 July 2025
Definition of rumor

Browse Nearby Words

skinning
skinny
skins
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Skinny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skinny. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on skinny

Nglish: Translation of skinny for Spanish Speakers

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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Words You Always Have to Look Up

Using Bullet Points ( • )

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ten Painless Ways to Improve Your Vocabulary

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

Better Ways to Say 'This Sucks'

8 Words with Fascinating Histories
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Ten Painless Ways to Improve Your Vocabulary

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language
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?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a plate of arepas
Name That Dish! Some mouth-watering food for thought
See All