Meaning & use

lanky

adjective·Everyday

Tall, thin, and somewhat awkward in movement or posture.

See it in a sentence

The lanky teenager had grown four inches over the summer and hadn't adjusted yet.

A lanky figure leaned against the doorway, arms and legs seemingly too long for his frame.

A note on using this word

Lanky often implies a slightly awkward or ungainly quality, unlike the more neutral 'tall and slim.'

Words with a similar meaning

ganglyrangy

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

Words with an opposite meaning

stocky

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