scrawny
adjective/ˈskrɔːni/
/ˈskrɔːni/
(comparative scrawnier, superlative scrawniest)
(disapproving)- (of people or animals) very thin in a way that is not attractive synonym scraggy
- He had long scrawny fingers.
- There were a few scrawny chickens in the yard.
Oxford Collocations DictionaryScrawny is used with these nouns:- kid
- neck
Word Originmid 19th cent.: variant of dialect scranny; compare with archaic scrannel ‘weak, feeble’ (referring to sound).Want to learn more?
Find out which words work together and produce more natural sounding English with the Oxford Collocations Dictionary app.
Check pronunciation:
scrawny