spindly

adjective

spin·​dly ˈspin(d)-lē How to pronounce spindly (audio)
ˈspin-dᵊl-ē
spindlier; spindliest
1
: of a disproportionately tall or long and thin appearance that often suggests physical weakness
spindly legs
2
: frail or flimsy in appearance or structure
a spindly tower

Examples of spindly in a Sentence

spindly, underfed dogs roamed the poverty-stricken village
Recent Examples on the Web Saint Maud’s protagonist was a spindly, religious health aide who imagined her body elongating and stretching in gory, supernatural ways. David Sims, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2024 The sequel features some of the most effective scares of the entire series, as the aforementioned Valak lends itself to some truly terrifying sequences, and the spindly Crooked Man (Javier Botet) and unsettlingly mundane Bill Wilkins (Bob Adrian) provide variety to the thrills. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 7 Sep. 2023 Even as the character gains in physical confidence and emotional stature, the swift and spindly Chalamet never fully sheds his boyish vulnerability. Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2024 Attendees in ball gowns with spindly heels and long trains had to navigate not only puddles and potholes, but also curious onlookers, tourists, and joggers who seemed to have absolutely no idea what was going on. Radhika Seth, Vogue, 20 Feb. 2024 Boston Dynamics Atlas' new spindly, double-jointed fingers are capable but a bit creepy. Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, 6 Feb. 2024 The tower, all 190 feet of it, had vanished — its 3,500 pounds of spindly steel beams possibly sliced into pieces and dragged away earlier this month by thieves, the police said. Eduardo Medina, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2024 Transcriptions of spindly handwriting can be summoned on devices via bar codes. Brian T. Allen, National Review, 8 Feb. 2024 Skippy climbs with her hands and feet into the forest canopy, swinging through the spindly vines. David McKenzie, CNN, 2 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spindly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1651, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of spindly was in 1651

Dictionary Entries Near spindly

Cite this Entry

“Spindly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spindly. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

spindly

adjective
spin·​dly ˈspin-(d)lē How to pronounce spindly (audio)
-dᵊl-ē
spindlier; spindliest
: of a tall or long and thin appearance that often suggests physical weakness
spindly legs

More from Merriam-Webster on spindly

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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