adjective
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(of a place, esp a marsh) abounding in reeds
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of or like a reed
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having a tone like a reed instrument; shrill or piping
a reedy voice
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of reedy
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at reed, -y 1
Explanation
Use the adjective reedy to describe someone who's tall and thin, or a sound that's high-pitched. The reedy singer in your middle school choir might have a reedy voice. Reedy people are lanky and tall, with long, slender legs that resemble reeds, the broad-leafed grasses that grow in marshy areas. Reedy sounds, on the other hand, seem to be made from a reed (or woodwind) instrument, like a clarinet. So your reedy singing voice is high and thin, rather than bold and deep like your father's baritone.
Vocabulary lists containing reedy
Home of the Brave
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"When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d" by Walt Whitman
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Slaughterhouse-Five
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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.
Lopez handed one to Juan Ballena, who immediately used it — a shrill, reedy blast soon answered by others.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 9, 2025
Looking up, we discover that these are the naked trunks of trees, their reedy, leafless tops scraping against a gray sky.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 31, 2025
It is a little strange to see the presumptive mayor of New York City break bread with comedians like Mullen and Halkias in the reedy territory in which they operate.
From Slate • Jun. 26, 2025
A fairly reedy warble emerged, which Goldie ignored.
From BBC • Mar. 2, 2025
The cat’s voice, though cultured, was a high reedy tenor.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
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.
