slender
Americanadjective
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having a circumference that is small in proportion to the height or length.
a slender post.
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thin or slight; light and graceful.
slender youths.
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small in size, amount, extent, etc.; meager.
a slender income.
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having little value, force, or justification.
slender prospects.
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thin or weak, as sound.
adjective
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of small width relative to length or height
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(esp of a person's figure) slim and well-formed
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small or inadequate in amount, size, etc
slender resources
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(of hopes, etc) having little foundation; feeble
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very small
a slender margin
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(of a sound) lacking volume
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phonetics (now only in Irish phonology) relating to or denoting a close front vowel, such as i or e
Related Words
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
- slenderly adverb
- slenderness noun
- unslender adjective
Etymology
Origin of slender
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English slendre, sclendre; origin unknown
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.
A slender red tongue flickered over the tiny fangs, reminding Jeremy of the lightning that had split the sky earlier that night.
From Literature
I look at my arm, my hand, the hand holding mine, another slender arm.
From Literature
Directly in the center, a slender vertical window — part of the gallery’s architecture — illuminates the otherwise darkened room with a pillar of natural light, further contributing to the ethereal nature of the piece.
From Los Angeles Times
“It’s not just work on the sport, not just to teach me the jumps,” said Carrillo, whose slender 5-foot-7 build and wide smile belie a fierce competitiveness that sometimes has been his worst enemy.
From Los Angeles Times
"We used to have a very slender Ram, a very slender Shiva, drawn lovingly by artists who drew by hand," said Puri, 68, who has been with ACK for 34 years.
From Barron's
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.
