wiry

[ wahyuhr-ee ]

adjective

, wir·i·er, wir·i·est.

1. made of wire.
2. in the form of wire.
3. resembling wire, as in form, stiffness, etc.:

   wiry grass.

4. lean and sinew:

   a wiry little person.

5. produced by or resembling the sound of a vibrating wire:

   wiry tones.

wiry

/ ˈwaɪərɪ /

adjective

1. (of people or animals) slender but strong in constitution
2. made of or resembling wire, esp in stiffness

   wiry hair

3. (of a sound) produced by or as if by a vibrating wire

Derived Forms

• ˈwirily, adverb
• ˈwiriness, noun

Other Words From

• wiri·ly adverb
• wiri·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of wiry¹

First recorded in 1580–90; wire + -y ¹

Example Sentences

We see a younger, even more wiry Bourdain singing the praises of breakfast-time cigarettes, or play-fencing with a friend, using treacherous-looking kitchen knives as weapons.

From Time

I can count the time by the inches of wiry, silver hair coming from my scalp.

From Washington Post

Wiry and more grey man than charismatic, Votel is known for his no-nonsense, rather closed demeanor.

From The Daily Beast

My prom date, Red, sported a wiry mustache and drove a black-and-gold Camaro.

From The Daily Beast

Little wiry chap, with silvery hair, bright brown eyes and plenty of wrinkles.

From The Daily Beast

He was wiry, crisp, and clean and lean, his mind as sharp as ever.

From The Daily Beast

Models came down the runway in head pieces fashioned into twisted, wiry wigs in subtle winter colors.

From The Daily Beast

The old gentleman was heavy and Gwynne sound and wiry in spite of his delicate appearance.

From Project Gutenberg

His predecessors had to deal with Perry Thomas, and in spite of his gentle ways and intellectual cast, Perry is active and wiry.

From Project Gutenberg

He was of frugal and temperate habits, a wiry man at the height of his physical powers, with lean flanks and a deep chest.

From Project Gutenberg

Chumru laid aside the garment and tickled his wiry hair underneath his turban.

From Project Gutenberg

His forehead was not very high, but broad and open; his hair dark and wiry, for which reason he kept it cut short.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• agile
• athletic
• limber
• muscular
• sinewy
• strapping
• supple