gangly
Americanadjective
Etymology
Origin of gangly
An Americanism dating back to 1870–75
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.
Wilkinson, who played professionally abroad, said being “the most awkward gangly freshman ever” gave him grit and ambition.
He and Chip were both equally tall and gangly—it wasn’t like Jonah had any extra muscles for fighting off attackers.
From Literature
Henry Upton had long gangly arms and legs and a round middle, so the idea of him dancing had the whole town board laughing.
From Literature
“I want to devote my entire life to military service,” the gangly teen told The Wall Street Journal last spring as he prepared to take his oath of service at a base in east Ukraine.
It was a counterintuitive choice, turning the guy who led the country in touchdown passes into a rusher whose gangly 6-foot-5 frame sometimes made it look like he was sprinting on a frozen lake.
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.
