WIRY Synonyms: 84 Similar and Opposite Words

wiry

adjective

Definition of wiry

as in scrawny

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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 wiry These flowering annuals produce an abundance of summer blooms on wiry stems. — Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 July 2026 When an Instagram video with nearly 100 million views likened his appearance to a green onion — its wiry roots standing in as his hair — Haaland responded in the comments with a side-eyeing dog GIF. — Kaitlyn Huamani, Fortune, 13 July 2026 And in a nation known for its tall people, the legendary Dutchman Johan Cruyff wasn’t exactly a giant at 5 feet 10 inches with a wiry frame. — Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026 Shola Jimoh continues to show promise as a wiry 18-year-old attacker with Inter Toronto and has impressed Marsch in previous Canada camps. — Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for wiry

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wiry

Adjective

In contrast, Brady was scrawny, slow, and repeatedly picked last for games.

— Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
The comedy of Gilligan’s Island often centered on the interactions between the scrawny, clueless Gilligan and the rotund, impatient skipper.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of scrawny

Adjective

Putting his lean and sinewy physicality to disquieting use, McNairy makes Wilson both unreadable and coldly transparent, giving him equal parts menace and magnetism.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2026
One of Nebel’s major works was still there — The Wrestlers, a huge plaster work of two sinewy men locked in combat, which had been his thesis as a student.

— Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 30 July 2026

Definition of sinewy

Adjective

On screen, Guitarrica’s expressive and angular visage conveys the fright and uncertainty that afflict his character, who is desperate for tenderness.

— Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
One sits on the nose bridge, next to the angular artery, and picks up pulse, blinking, and eyebrow movement.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of angular

Adjective

For this leaner, meaner Deafheaven, stylistic variety takes a backseat to speed and chaos, and when properly executed, subtle melodic or rhythmic tweaks wield the heft of the more tectonic transitions in the band’s defining songs.

— Patrick Lyons, Pitchfork, 13 Oct. 2026
Sportfishing boats are catching thousands of yellowfin tuna after two lean years, but the fishery is far quieter than during the 2014-15 marine heat wave.

— Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of lean

Adjective

Fields of solar panels blanket parts of Inner Mongolia, while the slender silhouettes of wind turbines spin above grazing sheep.

— Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026
This one was carved from a block of limestone and features a slender face with a long nose and a tiny, smiling mouth.

— Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of slender

Adjective

Related Stories Arriving to Southwark Crown Court, Brand wore a grey suit, white shirt and grey skinny tie.

— Ellise Shafer, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
On a Wednesday afternoon at Ralphs on Pico Boulevard, a skinny, six-foot-tall tower of sensors rolled through the aisles.

— Ella Chakarian, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of skinny

Adjective

Bajaria may also have hit thin ice with Sarandos after the streamer won just 16 Primetime Emmy Awards this year — its worst showing since 2016 and down from 30 in 2025.

— Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
It was designed with a column, sheath silhouette, with sequins, thin spaghetti straps and a midlength skirt.

— Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of thin

Browse Nearby Words

wirra

wiry

wisdom

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“Wiry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wiry. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of wiry

adjective

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