thin as a rail

Idioms  

1. Very slender, as in I do not know why she's dieting; she's thin as a rail already. This simile, which uses rail in the sense of “a narrow bar,” has largely replaced such other versions as thin as a lath or rake, although the latter is still common in Britain. [Second half of 1800s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

thin as a rail

Lee: It’s well known that Audrey was as thin as a rail, which was true.

From Fox News ● Jun. 13, 2019

He was sensational, thin as a rail but with amazing power – and very strong.

From The Guardian ● Apr. 15, 2019

The margin of the decision was about as thin as a rail road ticket: the vote to delay the merger until the ICC devises proper protections for the little railroads was 5-4.

From Time Magazine Archive

"I came thin as a rail," said Henry's wife Christina.

From Time Magazine Archive

“I don’t know. All I remember is that she came back thin as a rail, and that I was horribly envious of her.”

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri

Related Words

• bony
• gaunt
• scrawny
• skeletal
• skinny