bony

/ˈbəʊni/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈbəʊni/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈbō-nē/ (ame, mw)

bony — adjective

  • bonypositive
  • boniercomparative
  • boniestsuperlative

1. describes a person or animal that is so thin that the bones show clearly under t

1.形容詞B2
釋義

describes a person or animal that is so thin that the bones show clearly under the skin, often because of illness, old age, or not having enough food

例句

After weeks in hospital, Chiamaka's arms looked bony and fragile.

bony + fragile describing thin limbs

The stray cat was so bony that the vet could count each rib with her fingers.

so bony that + visible bones

同義詞
  • skinny

    more informal and often critical; less clinical than bony

  • gaunt

    suggests a hollow, tired thinness from hunger or worry

  • emaciated

    much stronger and more formal; used for dangerously thin people or animals

反義詞
  • plump

    pleasantly fat in a healthy way

  • well-fed

    describes someone who has enough to eat and looks healthy

用法筆記

Often carries a slightly negative or pitying tone. Can be softened with adverbs (e.g. 'a little bony', 'somewhat bony'). The opposite of BONY in this sense is 'plump' or 'well-fed'.

常見錯誤

❌My grandmother is bony and healthy.
✅My grandmother is thin but healthy.
💡BONY suggests extreme thinness that looks unhealthy; use 'thin' or 'slim' for a positive or neutral description.

2. made of bone tissue, or having a hard white appearance and texture similar to th

2.形容詞B2
釋義

made of bone tissue, or having a hard white appearance and texture similar to that of bone

例句

The surgeon removed a small bony growth from the patient's wrist joint.

bony growth = a hard, bone-like lump in the body

The handle of the old carving knife was made from a smooth, bony material.

bony material = a substance like bone

同義詞
  • osseous

    formal medical term; not used in everyday speech

  • skeletal

    focuses on the framework of bones rather than the material itself

用法筆記

Often used in formal, scientific, or medical contexts. When describing objects, 'bony' suggests the item looks or feels like bone rather than being actual bone.

3. describes food, especially fish, that contains many small bones, making it diffi

3.形容詞B2
釋義

describes food, especially fish, that contains many small bones, making it difficult to eat

例句

Thandiwe picked carefully at her bony fish to avoid swallowing any tiny bones.

bony fish = fish with many small bones

This restaurant's trout is too bony for the children to enjoy safely.

too bony for + person to eat easily

同義詞
  • full of bones

    more literal and less common as a compound adjective

反義詞
  • boneless

    describes fish or meat with no bones

  • filleted

    describes fish that has been prepared with the bones removed

用法筆記

This sense applies almost exclusively to fish and some types of poultry. It is not used for meat that has a single large bone (e.g. a chicken drumstick).

常見錯誤

❌This steak is bony.
✅This fish is bony.
💡'bony' for food is almost always about fish with many tiny bones, not meat with one large bone.