slender

/ˈslendə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈslendər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈslen-dər/ (ame, mw)

slender — adjective

  • slenderpositive
  • slenderercomparative
  • slenderestsuperlative

1. having a thin shape that looks attractive or graceful, typically describing a pe

1.形容詞B2
釋義

having a thin shape that looks attractive or graceful, typically describing a person's body, fingers, or a tall narrow object.

例句

Feng admired the dancer's slender arms as she stretched before the show.

slender + body-part noun (arms, fingers, neck)

The young pianist had slender fingers that moved quickly across the keys.

describing fingers in a positive, graceful way

同義詞
  • slim

    near-synonym; 'slim' is more common in everyday speech, 'slender' sounds more literary

  • lithe

    adds a sense of flexibility and graceful movement

  • willowy

    tall AND slender, with a swaying quality

反義詞
  • stocky

    short and broadly built; opposite of slender for body shapes

  • plump

    rounded and fleshy, without the negative tone of 'fat'

文法句型

slender + noun

be slender

用法筆記

Carries a positive or admiring tone, unlike 'thin' (neutral) or 'skinny' (often negative). Frequently collocates with body parts (figure, waist, fingers, neck) or tall narrow objects.

常見錯誤

❌My grandfather was very slender after his illness.
✅My grandfather was very thin after his illness.
💡'slender' suggests an attractive shape, not weight loss from illness.

2. very limited in size, amount, or how likely something is — often suggesting bare

2.形容詞C1
釋義

very limited in size, amount, or how likely something is — often suggesting barely enough to be useful.

例句

The new charity opened its doors with only a slender budget for the first year.

collocation: slender budget / slender means / slender resources

Doctors said Ada had only a slender chance of recovery after the accident.

collocation: slender chance / slender hope

同義詞
  • meagre

    stresses inadequacy more strongly than 'slender'

  • scant

    interchangeable in 'scant evidence / slender evidence'

  • narrow

    common with 'margin' and 'majority' in the same way

反義詞
  • ample

    more than enough; opposite for resources or amounts

  • comfortable

    used of margins or majorities — 'comfortable lead' vs 'slender lead'

文法句型

slender + abstract noun

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is figurative and only modifies abstract nouns (chance, margin, hope, budget, evidence). You cannot say 'a slender man' meaning a poor man. Common in news and formal writing.

常見錯誤

❌The thief stole only a slender amount of cash.
✅The thief stole only a small amount of cash.
💡'slender amount' sounds odd; use 'slender' with specific nouns like margin, chance, budget, hope.