How do you use "Lanky" in a sentence?

He was a lanky teenager but filled out later. That lanky lad in the back row. She's quite lanky—all legs and arms.

Lanky

Q: What does "Lanky" mean?

Tall and thin, often awkwardly so. Describes someone who is notably tall and thin, often with the suggestion of being gangly or not quite growing into their height.

Slang Term BritishAmericanAustralian ★★★★☆ Common Casual

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Meaning: Tall and thin, often awkwardly so.

又高又瘦，通常显得有些笨拙。

Alto y delgado, a menudo de manera desgarbada.

背が高くて痩せている、しばしばぎこちなく見える。

키가 크고 마른, 종종 어색해 보이는.

Describes someone who is notably tall and thin, often with the suggestion of being gangly or not quite growing into their height.

形容明显高瘦的人，常带有瘦长或身材与身高不太协调的意味。

Describe a alguien notablemente alto y delgado, a menudo con la sugerencia de ser desgarbado o no haber crecido del todo en su altura.

目立って背が高く痩せている人を表し、ひょろひょろした印象や身長に体が追いついていない感じを含むことが多い。

유난히 키가 크고 마른 사람을 묘사하는 말. 종종 어설프고 자기 키에 아직 적응하지 못한 듯한 느낌을 내포한다.

Literal meaning: Tall and lean

Examples

He was a lanky teenager but filled out later.
他十几岁时瘦高瘦高的，后来长壮实了
Era un adolescente larguirucho pero después se llenó
彼はひょろひょろのティーンエイジャーだったが後でがっしりした
그는 10대 때 껑충하게 마른 체형이었지만 나중에 살이 붙었다.
That lanky lad in the back row.
后排那个瘦高的小伙子
Ese chico larguirucho de la última fila
後ろの列のあのひょろ長い男の子
뒷줄에 있는 저 껑충한 남자애.
She's quite lanky—all legs and arms.
她挺瘦长的，全是胳膊腿
Es bastante larguirucha, todo piernas y brazos
彼女はかなりひょろ長い—手足ばかり
그녀는 꽤 껑충해—온통 팔다리뿐이야.

Pronunciation

/ˈlæŋki/

Usage Guide

Context: height, thin, body description

Tone: descriptive, sometimes teasing

✓ Do Say

He's lanky.
他很瘦高
Es larguirucho
彼はひょろ長い
그는 껑충해.
A lanky teenager.
瘦高的少年
Un adolescente larguirucho
ひょろ長いティーンエイジャー
껑충한 10대.
Tall and lanky.
又高又瘦
Alto y larguirucho
背が高くてひょろ長い
키 크고 껑충한.

✗ Don't Say

Tall and thin
Tall and thin（普通说法）
Tall and thin（expresión estándar）
Tall and thin（普通の表現）
키 크고 마른
Gangly
Gangly（普通说法）
Gangly（expresión estándar）
Gangly（普通の表現）
어설픈

Common Mistakes

Not necessarily negative, but implies awkwardness
Often used for teenagers still growing

Origin & History

From dialectal 'lank' meaning thin.

Etymology: English dialect

First recorded: 17th century

Cultural Context

Era: Traditional to present

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: Common description; Character descriptions

Regional notes: Universal across English-speaking world.

Variations

LankyA lanky oneTall and lanky