gaunt

¹ American  

[gawnt] / gɔnt /

adjective

gaunter, gauntest

1. extremely thin and bony; haggard and drawn, as from great hunger, weariness, or torture; emaciated.

   Synonyms:

   rawboned, angular, lank, scrawny, spare, lean

   Antonyms:

   stout

2. bleak, desolate, or grim, as places or things.

   a gaunt, windswept landscape.

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Gaunt ² American  

[gawnt, gahnt] / gɔnt, gɑnt /

noun

1. John of. John of Gaunt.

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gaunt British  

/ ɡɔːnt /

adjective

1. bony and emaciated in appearance

2. (of places) bleak or desolate

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Related Words

See thin.

Other Word Forms

• gauntly adverb
• gauntness noun

Etymology

Origin of gaunt

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, probably from Old French gaunet, jaunet “yellowish,” derivative of gaune, jaune “yellow,” from Latin galbinus “greenish-yellow”

Example Sentences

The earl of Arundel’s tomb expresses the grim realities beneath the era’s facade of chivalry: Above, he is depicted resplendent in full armor; below, as a gaunt cadaver.

From The Wall Street Journal

Nitibhon, a Thai supermodel, plays her tycoon as comically drab, keeping her gaunt cheeks slack to emphasize her character’s hollowness.

From Los Angeles Times

It was, at first sight, a horned horse: larger than a cart horse, but thinner, gaunt: its ribs were visible, and its skull was vivid beneath its skin.

From Literature

Though her hair had been piled up, her skin still appeared lightly gray and sickly, her features human but gaunt.

From Literature

The pressure he felt at Merrill made him look even more gaunt.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• angular
• emaciated
• thin