wiry

Meanings

1. 1adjectivecomparable

   Having a thin but strong and muscular body; lean and tough.

   Grammar: Used to describe people or animals, often after verbs like be, look, or become.

   Patterns

   • wiry build
   • wiry frame
   • look wiry

   The runner had a wiry build that made him very fast.

   She is small and wiry, but surprisingly strong.

   His wiry frame seemed to have no extra fat at all.

2. 2adjectivecomparable

   Of hair or fur: stiff, coarse, and springy, like wire.

   Grammar: Often used before nouns like hair, coat, or beard.

   Patterns

   • wiry hair
   • wiry coat
   • wiry beard

   The dog had a thick, wiry coat that needed regular brushing.

   His wiry hair stood up in all directions.

   She ran her fingers through her wiry beard.

Word forms

Common combinations

wiry build

The gymnast had a wiry build.

wiry hair

He has thick, wiry hair.

wiry frame

Despite his wiry frame, he could lift heavy weights.

small and wiry

She was small and wiry, full of energy.

Synonyms and how they differ

lean

Lean means thin with little fat, but does not necessarily suggest strength or toughness like wiry does.

sinewy

Sinewy means having strong, visible tendons and muscles; it is more formal and often describes meat or a very muscular body.

coarse

Coarse describes rough texture, especially of hair; wiry adds the idea of stiffness and springiness.

Opposites

Word family

wire noun

A thin, flexible thread of metal.

wirily adverb

In a wiry manner; rarely used.

wiriness noun

The quality of being wiry.

Commonly confused: wiry or weary? wiry or wary?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “wiry”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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