wiry

[ wahyuhr-ee ]

/ ˈwaɪər i /

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See synonyms for wiry on Thesaurus.com

adjective, wir·i·er, wir·i·est.

made of wire.

in the form of wire.

resembling wire, as in form, stiffness, etc.: wiry grass.

lean and sinew: a wiry little person.

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

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of wiry

First recorded in 1580–90; wire + -y¹

OTHER WORDS FROM wiry

wir·i·ly, adverbwir·i·ness, noun

Words nearby wiry

wiring harness, wirra, wirrah, Wirral, Wirtz, wiry, wis, Wisbech, Wisby, WISC, Wisconsin

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use wiry in a sentence

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.
Roadrunner Illuminates Anthony Bourdain the Man—But Are Its Means Totally Legit?|Stephanie Zacharek|July 16, 2021|Time
I can count the time by the inches of wiry, silver hair coming from my scalp.
Some young women embraced their gray hair during the pandemic. They might not go back.|Maura Judkis|April 12, 2021|Washington Post
Wiry and more grey man than charismatic, Votel is known for his no-nonsense, rather closed demeanor.
Special Ops Commander Swears: I Won't Be Hillary's VP|Kimberly Dozier|August 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
My prom date, Red, sported a wiry mustache and drove a black-and-gold Camaro.
Let Us Now Praise Famous Rednecks and Their Unjustly Unsung Kin|Allison Glock|August 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Little wiry chap, with silvery hair, bright brown eyes and plenty of wrinkles.
Iran’s Top Spy Is the Modern-Day Karla, John Le Carré’s Villainous Mastermind|Michael Weiss|July 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He was wiry, crisp, and clean and lean, his mind as sharp as ever.
The Night Vince Lombardi Lay Awake Brooding Over a 49-0 Win|W.C. Heinz|January 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Models came down the runway in head pieces fashioned into twisted, wiry wigs in subtle winter colors.
Comme Des Garçon's "Infinity of Tailoring"|Liza Foreman|March 3, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The old gentleman was heavy and Gwynne sound and wiry in spite of his delicate appearance.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton
His predecessors had to deal with Perry Thomas, and in spite of his gentle ways and intellectual cast, Perry is active and wiry.
The Soldier of the Valley|Nelson Lloyd
He was of frugal and temperate habits, a wiry man at the height of his physical powers, with lean flanks and a deep chest.
Uncanny Tales|Various
Chumru laid aside the garment and tickled his wiry hair underneath his turban.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
His forehead was not very high, but broad and open; his hair dark and wiry, for which reason he kept it cut short.
Skipper Worse|Alexander Lange Kielland

British Dictionary definitions for wiry

wiry

/ (ˈwaɪərɪ) /

adjective wirier or wiriest

(of people or animals) slender but strong in constitution

made of or resembling wire, esp in stiffnesswiry hair

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

Derived forms of wiry

wirily, adverbwiriness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

wiry

Origin of wiry

OTHER WORDS FROM wiry

Words nearby wiry

Words related to wiry

How to use wiry in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for wiry

Derived forms of wiry