Meaning & use
waiflike
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Meaning
adjectivecomparable
Looking very thin, fragile, and often pale, like a homeless or neglected child.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after a linking verb: 'a waiflike figure' or 'She looked waiflike.'
Patterns
- a waiflike appearance
- look waiflike
- waiflike and pale
The actress had a waiflike figure that made her seem delicate.
He described the child as waiflike, with big eyes and thin arms.
Her waiflike appearance worried her friends.
Word forms
| comparative | more waiflike |
|---|---|
| superlative | most waiflike |
Common combinations
- waiflike appearance
- His waiflike appearance made people want to help him.
- waiflike figure
- She had a waiflike figure in the oversized coat.
- pale and waiflike
- The model looked pale and waiflike on the runway.
- waiflike child
- The photograph showed a waiflike child standing alone.
Synonyms and how they differ
- fragile
- Focuses on being easily broken or harmed; 'waiflike' adds the idea of looking thin and neglected.
- delicate
- Suggests fineness and lightness, often in a positive way; 'waiflike' is more about a sad, underfed look.
- thin
- A plain word for not being fat; 'waiflike' is more literary and suggests vulnerability.
Opposites
Word family
- waif noun
- A thin, homeless, or neglected child or young person.
Commonly confused: waiflike or wifelike?
waiflike vs wifelike
This means 'like a wife' and sounds similar but has a completely different meaning. Be careful with the spelling: 'waif' not 'wife'.
Practice
The documentary showed a ______ child wandering the streets alone.
Choose one answer.
We need an adjective before the noun 'child', so 'waiflike' is correct. 'Wifelike' means 'like a wife' and does not fit the context. 'Waif' is a noun and cannot directly modify another noun here. 'Waifishly' is an adverb, which cannot modify a noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “waiflike”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.