lanky

/ˈlæŋki/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈlæŋki/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈlaŋ-kē/ (ame, mw)

lanky — adjective

  • lankypositive
  • lankiercomparative
  • lankiestsuperlative

1. describes someone whose body is unusually tall with long, narrow arms and legs,

1.形容詞B2
釋義

describes someone whose body is unusually tall with long, narrow arms and legs, so that the person can look a little clumsy when walking or sitting.

例句

Haruto was a lanky fifteen-year-old who had grown six inches in one summer.

lanky + age-noun describing a teenager

The lanky goalkeeper stretched his long arms across the net and caught the ball easily.

lanky + role noun: typical sports context

同義詞
  • gangly

    very close in meaning; emphasises awkward movement even more than 'lanky'.

  • rangy

    tall and thin with long limbs, but suggests strength and easy movement, not clumsiness.

  • lean

    thin and fit; says nothing about height.

反義詞
  • stocky

    short and solidly built — the opposite shape.

  • petite

    small and slender; used mainly of women, focuses on smallness rather than height.

文法句型

lanky + body-part noun

linking verb + lanky

用法筆記

Almost always describes people (or sometimes young animals), and almost always positive or neutral in tone — not an insult, more an observation of build. Often paired with a noun for age or role (`a lanky teenager`, `a lanky basketball player`).

常見錯誤

❌The lanky building had ten floors.
✅The tall building had ten floors.
💡'lanky' is for people and animals, not for objects or buildings.
❌She is lanky and overweight.
✅She is tall and overweight.
💡'lanky' already implies thinness, so it does not fit with words meaning the opposite.