Meaning & use

bowlegged

adjective·Advanced

Having legs that curve outward at the knee, so the knees stay apart even when the ankles touch.

See it in a sentence

The old cowboy walked with a bowlegged gait after decades of riding horses.

Many toddlers appear slightly bowlegged before their legs straighten with age.

A note on using this word

Bowlegged describes a physical leg shape and is a neutral, descriptive term rather than an insult.

Words with a similar meaning

This term is best learned through its definition and examples.

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

knock-kneed

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