slender
Americanadjective
-
slenderer,
comparative
-
slenderest
superlative
-
having a circumference that is small in proportion to the height or length.
a slender post.
-
thin or slight; light and graceful.
slender youths.
-
small in size, amount, extent, etc.; meager.
a slender income.
-
having little value, force, or justification.
slender prospects.
-
thin or weak, as sound.
adjective
-
of small width relative to length or height
-
(esp of a person's figure) slim and well-formed
-
small or inadequate in amount, size, etc
slender resources
-
(of hopes, etc) having little foundation; feeble
-
very small
a slender margin
-
(of a sound) lacking volume
-
phonetics (now only in Irish phonology) relating to or denoting a close front vowel, such as i or e
Synonym Usage
Slender, slight, slim imply a tendency toward thinness. As applied to the human body, slender implies a generally attractive and pleasing thinness: slender hands. Slight often adds the idea of frailness to that of thinness: a slight, almost fragile, figure. Slim implies a lithe or delicate thinness: a slim and athletic figure.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of slender
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English slendre, sclendre; origin unknown
Explanation
Something slender is slight, or skinny. A young colt is slender compared to the full grown horse it will grow into. Slender can be used in both positive and negative ways. If someone tells you you have a slender figure, you'll probably be happy, unless you're going for muscle-mass. A slender portion of potatoes will not cheer a hungry growing boy. If you don't know much about something, you can say your knowledge of it is slender. And if you become an artist, get used to living on a slender budget. Now that's a nice way to put it.
Vocabulary lists containing slender
15 Synonyms for "Thin": An Eileen Ford (1922-2014) Tribute List
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!
The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora
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!
Prince Caspian
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:
The long, slender fibers from the plant could be used to make products that are both stronger and softer than wood-based equivalents.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Compared with related beetles, members of this genus have exceptionally long and slender mandibles, antennae, and maxillary palps.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026
The British Trust for Ornithology said there were a handful of sightings of the "slender and graceful" bird in the UK, mostly from August to October.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
It seemed counterintuitive to slacken my grip given such a precise goal — to land a slender arrow in the epicenter of a black dot.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
For attached was a long slender neck that supported a beautiful white head with a black mask and a bright orange beak.
From "Breadcrumbs" by Anne Ursu
"It is more likely than not that megalodon must have had a much slenderer body than the modern great white shark."
From Salon ● Mar. 10, 2025
And it consisted of a series of stacked volumes that grew slenderer and more circular as the tower rose.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 6, 2020
“In the Realm of Perfection” is slenderer, knottier, more self-consciously besotted than that.
From New York Times ● Aug. 21, 2018
Its signs also use a sans-serif font, although one that's slenderer and more delicate than Helvetica.
From Slate ● Dec. 16, 2017
At the bottom were Gray’s Anatomy and a collected Shakespeare, and above them, on slenderer spines, names in faded silver and gold—she saw Housman and Crabbe.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
As it is, they remain outside the bottom three only by the slenderest of goal difference advantages over Everton, although Moyes still feels his job is secure.
From BBC ● Jan. 4, 2023
In her review of the 1978 production, Times theater critic Sylvie Drake identifies “Fam and Yam” as the weak link in “Albee Directs Albee,” calling the playlet “the slenderest of self-jibes” and a “threadbare spoof.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 7, 2022
But what “Sollers Point” accomplishes is a singular balancing act, compensating for the mood of heavy discouragement with only the slenderest thread of hope.
From Washington Post ● May 21, 2018
“Red Knot,” the feature debut of Scott Cohen, a New York artist, takes an imposing backdrop and adds the slenderest of stories.
From New York Times ● Dec. 4, 2014
The gloves were unlined, with the slenderest slashes hidden in the fingertips.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
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.
