scrawny
Americanadjective
adjective
-
very thin and bony; scraggy
-
meagre or stunted
scrawny vegetation
Other Word Forms
- scrawnily adverb
- scrawniness noun
Etymology
Origin of scrawny
1825–35, variant of dial. scranny < Norwegian skran lean + -y 1
Explanation
Scrawny is an insulting way to describe someone who's very thin and weak. You might be surprised by how lifting weights transformed your scrawny teammate to a muscular athlete by the end of the season. The adjective scrawny can describe a small, underweight body but it can also describe anything that's not very big or well-made — a scrawny tree that never gets any taller or fuller or a scrawny audience that disappoints the band because they were expecting a sold-out concert. Scrawny may have come from the Old Norse word skraelna, to shrivel.
Vocabulary lists containing scrawny
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
List 8
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"The Hunger Games" Vocabulary from Chapter 1
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Lotkoy Ebey has just five scrawny goats to her name where she once had 50.
From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026
Although he played quarterback, he was so scrawny that it was hard for even the most optimistic coach to imagine how he would survive a college pass rush.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 6, 2026
Yet as funny as it is to see a guy this scrawny carry himself like Hercules, he leaps and strikes with conviction.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 23, 2025
Even a scrawny "manfluencer" like Jordan Peterson was claiming to eat a beef-only diet, which would destroy your bowels and is terrible for your heart.
From Salon • Apr. 21, 2025
He reached with his scrawny claws and took it and held it to his chest.
From "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy
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.
