scrawny
Americanadjective
-
scrawnier,
comparative
-
scrawniest
superlative
adjective
-
very thin and bony; scraggy
-
meagre or stunted
scrawny vegetation
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
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.
See Examples For:
As we left the area, we saw a tableau of suffering with families dotted around seeking shelter under scrawny trees.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
He was sitting on a curb beneath a scrawny tree, trying to get some shade, and coughing.
From Slate ● Jan. 27, 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
“He came here as a scrawny kicker at 100 pounds,” Walsh said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2025
A school photo of a scrawny, pimply-faced kid in the freshman section.
From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles
He’s also the younger of three brothers who grew up as scrawnier than many fellow humans, then learned to fend with that and then some.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 7, 2023
Though scrawnier than Western varieties, the chickens have a darker-hued meat that the Taiwanese swear is superior in taste and nutrition.
From Slate ● May 8, 2017
A more natural choice would be tween-dreamy, an actor with a scrawnier frame beneath that torso-hugging tunic.
From New York Times ● Aug. 22, 2014
Durant has been playing with the Goodman League since he was an even scrawnier 16-year-old, hoping to earn a reputation.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 14, 2011
The eagles flew away, and the Roman in the middle, who was scrawnier than the others, raised his visor.
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
There are thousands of would-be Edwin Ipapes across the island, running about on bits of grass, on gravel, on the scrawniest patch of clear land somewhere, anywhere they can get the ball out and play.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
Grant Hill: You know, Michael, there once was this kid, the scrawniest, geekiest kid you ever saw.
From Slate ● May 5, 2019
Instead, Stern offered the “Trump Tree,” which the tycoon, in “The Art of the Deal” dismissed as one of “the ugliest, scrawniest little trees you’re ever likely to see.”
From Washington Post ● Oct. 6, 2015
Kharey Wise, by far the scrawniest of the group, happened to be the only one old enough to spend all his time in adult jail and prison.
From New York Times ● Nov. 21, 2012
For one thing, Chigger was the scrawniest boy ever to ride the bench of the football team.
From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
