gangly

IPA/ˈɡæŋ.ɡli/
KK[ɡˈæŋli]IPA/ˈɡæŋ.ɡli/

gangly — adjective

  • ganglypositive
  • gangliercomparative
  • gangliestsuperlative

1. describes a person — most often an adolescent boy or young adult — whose unusual

1.形容詞B1
釋義

describes a person — most often an adolescent boy or young adult — whose unusual height and thinness make their movements look clumsy or unsteady

例句

Zayd was a gangly teenager whose long arms often got in the way.

predicative: 'was gangly' describing appearance during youth

The gangly boy tripped over his own feet while running across the basketball court.

attributive use before a noun: 'gangly boy'

同義詞
  • lanky

    similar tall-and-thin build, but without the implication of awkwardness; more neutral in tone

  • gawky

    almost identical meaning, emphasising the awkward movements of adolescents

  • rangy

    suggests long limbs and a slim body, but often used more positively, as in athletic build

反義詞
  • stocky

    short and strongly built, the opposite body type

  • stubby

    short and thick, describing limbs or overall build

用法筆記

Almost always describes a person (especially adolescent males), not animals or objects. The word carries a mild negative or pitying tone — the person's height is treated as a source of awkwardness rather than a neutral trait.

常見錯誤

❌The gangly tree swayed in the wind.
✅The tall, thin tree swayed in the wind.
💡'gangly' is only used for people and their movements, not objects.
❌He was gangly, meaning he moved with elegant grace.
✅He was gangly, meaning he was so tall and thin that he moved awkwardly.
💡'gangly' always includes a sense of clumsiness, not just tallness.