runty

[ruhn-tee]

adjective

runtier, runtiest 

1. stunted; dwarfish.

   The runty puppy seems the most playful of the litter.

Other Word Forms

• runtiness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of runty¹

First recorded in 1800–10; runt + -y ¹

Example Sentences

Such runty particles wouldn’t produce detectable nuclear recoils.

Read more on Science Magazine

Is it as heartwarming as a runty, wilted Christmas tree revived by love?

Read more on Los Angeles Times

They are sarcastic, my lot, calling a runty little chap like me Big Fellow, but there you are.

Read more on Literature

“But this is different. A little girl is one thing, a little runty pig is another.”

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Unlike all the other trees of its kind in the area, it was never cut down, because it was runty and twisted and situated on a rocky slope; it appeared unprofitable to loggers.

Read more on The New Yorker

Related Words

• cramped 
• limited 
• meager 
• microscopic 
• miniature 
• minuscule 
• modest 
• narrow 
• paltry 
• poor 
• short 
• slight 
• small-scale 
• young