willowy
Americanadjective
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pliant; lithe.
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(of a person) tall, slender, and moving gracefully.
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abounding with willows.
adjective
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slender and graceful
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flexible or pliant
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covered or shaded with willows
Etymology
Origin of willowy
Explanation
If someone's tall, slender, and graceful, you can describe them as willowy. Your willowy friend might prefer hip-hop, but she is as lithe and elegant as a ballet dancer. When a person is willowy, they're as long, lean, and flexible as the branch of a willow tree blowing in the breeze. This adjective was first used in this way around 1790 — earlier, it meant "shaded or bordered by willow trees." And in the 17th century, before willowy was coined, the now-obsolete willowish was used to mean "the color of willow leaves."
Vocabulary lists containing willowy
The Ruins of Gorlan
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Little Fires Everywhere
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Slay
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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 willowy, effervescent presence onstage, in video and in person, Dean pokes fun at herself often.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
The willowy Australian set a record for most Sports Illustrated swimsuit covers and popped up in movies and TV shows, including a recurring role on “Friends,” before starting a wellness company.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 19, 2024
Younglings hatch in the ocean, then drift to the coast as willowy, transparent glass eels.
From National Geographic ● Feb. 9, 2024
The willowy soloist Chloe Misseldine, spooky, alienlike and ever-improving as another new Myrta — her attitude position and leaps are heavenly — was also stunning in the pas de trois in “Swan Lake.”
From New York Times ● Jul. 24, 2023
His hair had grown out longer and shaggier, and his face was leaner, so he looked less like an imp and more like one of those willowy elves in the fairy tales.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
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.
