adjective
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resembling or consisting of bone or bones
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having many bones
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having prominent bones
bony cheeks
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thin or emaciated
a bony old woman
Other Word Forms
- boniness noun
Etymology
Origin of bony
First recorded in 1350–1400, bony is from the Middle English word boni. See bone, -y 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Her once well-muscled frame is long gone, as evident by the way her clothes hang on her bony hips and shoulders.
From Literature
His wet fur clung to his bony frame and provided no distraction from his crumpled ear, his missing eye, the crimped whiskers sprouting from his left cheek.
From Literature
I had edged my way into the dimness, peering into the corners, ready to run if I saw one of the sídhe, her hair long, her fingers bony, watching me.
From Literature
The girl’s bony shoulders felt as fragile as a bird’s wing under my hand, and I released it and stepped back.
From Literature
And I hoped a swarm of pixies would bite his bony stubborn rump!
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
