slender
adjective
slen·der ˈslen-dər 
1
a
: spare in frame or flesh
especially : gracefully slight
b
: small or narrow in circumference or width in proportion to length or height
2
: limited or inadequate in amount or scope : meager
people of slender means
slenderly adverb
slenderness noun
Synonyms
- fine
- hairline
- narrow
- needlelike
- paper-thin
- skinny
- slim
- slim-jim
- thin
- ultrathin
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
She has a slender figure. a flower with a slender stem an animal with a long, slender snout
Recent Examples on the Web However, there is a slender possibility that Viserys will live to reign another day. 
Philip Ellis, Men's Health, 18 Sep. 2022 Surrounded by acres of scrub, cactus and spotty stands of junipers, Little Hackberry Wash feeds a slender green corridor of lush mesquite, hackberry and desert willows, many entwined in morning glory and scarlet creeper vines. Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 15 Sep. 2022 There was statement jewelry dipped in gold on slender necks and polished pearls dangling from earlobes. Isiah Magsino, Vogue, 9 Sep. 2022 The male blossoms have a slender stem; the female flowers are the ones with the fruit behind them. Amisha Gurbani, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 Sep. 2022 On the Russian side, bloggers who have posted on military issues acknowledged a setback on the front near the Inholets River, a slender tributary to the Dnieper looping through farmland that had presented a barrier to Ukrainian troops. Andrew E. Kramer, BostonGlobe.com, 29 Aug. 2022 It's propelled along a surprisingly slender chain, anchored on each side of the river, with links an inch wide fed through a sprocket as the crank rotates. Neal Rubin, Detroit Free Press, 14 Aug. 2022 The work consists of a slender disc of corten steel laid flat on the ground that bears the outlines of roses and a pair of praying hands. Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2022 Those loans typically require slender down-payments that provide borrowers with high loans-to-value. Shawn Tully, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2022 See More
Philip Ellis, Men's Health, 18 Sep. 2022 Surrounded by acres of scrub, cactus and spotty stands of junipers, Little Hackberry Wash feeds a slender green corridor of lush mesquite, hackberry and desert willows, many entwined in morning glory and scarlet creeper vines. Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 15 Sep. 2022 There was statement jewelry dipped in gold on slender necks and polished pearls dangling from earlobes. Isiah Magsino, Vogue, 9 Sep. 2022 The male blossoms have a slender stem; the female flowers are the ones with the fruit behind them. Amisha Gurbani, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 Sep. 2022 On the Russian side, bloggers who have posted on military issues acknowledged a setback on the front near the Inholets River, a slender tributary to the Dnieper looping through farmland that had presented a barrier to Ukrainian troops. Andrew E. Kramer, BostonGlobe.com, 29 Aug. 2022 It's propelled along a surprisingly slender chain, anchored on each side of the river, with links an inch wide fed through a sprocket as the crank rotates. Neal Rubin, Detroit Free Press, 14 Aug. 2022 The work consists of a slender disc of corten steel laid flat on the ground that bears the outlines of roses and a pair of praying hands. Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2022 Those loans typically require slender down-payments that provide borrowers with high loans-to-value. Shawn Tully, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English sclendre, slendre, from Anglo-French esclendre
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Kids Definition
slender
adjective
slen·der ˈslen-dər
slenderer; slenderest
1
: gracefully thin
2
: narrow for its height or length
a slender rope
3
: very little
Even on generous scholarships, the transportation was too much for our slender resources. Katherine Paterson, Jacob Have I Loved
Katherine Paterson, Jacob Have I Lovedslender
adjective
1
as in thin
being of less than usual width graceful, slender table legs Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- thin
- narrow
- skinny
- slim
- fine
- needlelike
- elongated
- tight
- elongate
- linear
- ultrathin
- close
- condensed
- spare
- paper-thin
- hairline
- compressed
- willowy
- lanky
- slim-jim
- spindly
- attenuated
- tightened
- wispy
- rangy
- reedy
- squeezed
- constricted
- stalky
- twiggy
- contracted
- stringy
- attenuate
- lank
- bottleneck
- shoestring
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- broad
- wide
- stocky
- fat
- thick
- stumpy
- thickset
- chunky
- voluminous
- bulky
- squat
- massive
- thickish
- widish
2
as in skinny
having a noticeably small amount of body fat unsurprisingly, the aerobics instructor is slender and athletic Synonyms & Similar Words
- skinny
- thin
- bony
- slim
- lean
- angular
- gaunt
- svelte
- lithe
- skeletal
- trim
- boney
- willowy
- fatless
- wiry
- haggard
- spare
- lanky
- sinewy
- scrawny
- spindly
- sylphlike
- rawboned
- reedy
- twiggy
- clean-limbed
- rangy
- lank
- stringy
- weedy
- scraggy
- anorexic
- emaciated
- waspish
- wizened
- puny
- meager
- cadaverous
- pinched
- anorectic
- spindling
- slight
- meagre
- anoretic
- wasted
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- plump
- chubby
- stocky
- corpulent
- rotund
- fleshy
- thick
- fat
- stout
- bulky
- beefy
- obese
- thickset
- portly
- overweight
- chunky
- heavyset
- heavy
- tubby
- weighty
- stubby
- burly
- gross
- brawny
- pudgy
- husky
- dumpy
- squat
- paunchy
- flabby
- soft
- buxom
- potbellied
- zaftig
- full
- round
- roly-poly
- hippy
- zoftig
3
as in sparse
less plentiful than what is normal, necessary, or desirable people of slender means simply can't afford those prices Synonyms & Similar Words
- sparse
- scarce
- slim
- poor
- small
- skimpy
- meager
- scanty
- light
- short
- scant
- lowest
- exiguous
- lacking
- meagre
- thin
- stingy
- sparing
- spare
- insufficient
- inadequate
- mere
- niggardly
- minimal
- skimp
- thin on the ground
- deficient
- hand-to-mouth
- least
- bare
- littlest
- slightest
- wanting
- sterile
- slight
- bare-bones
- unfruitful
- barren
- unproductive
- infertile
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- generous
- ample
- abundant
- adequate
- bountiful
- copious
- liberal
- sufficient
- plentiful
- rich
- enough
- satisfactory
- fat
- prolific
- fertile
- fruitful
- plenteous
- tolerable
- luxuriant
- lavish
- fecund
- extra
- flourishing
- thriving
- bursting
- proliferative
- excess
- surplus
- blooming
- teeming
- swarming
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of slender are slight, slim, tenuous, and thin. While all these words mean "not thick, broad, abundant, or dense," slender implies leanness or spareness often with grace and good proportion.
the slender legs of a Sheraton chair
The words slight and slender are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, slight implies smallness as well as thinness.
a slight build
The words slim and slender can be used in similar contexts, but slim applies to slenderness that suggests fragility or scantiness.
a slim volume of poetry
a slim chance
Although the words tenuous and slender have much in common, tenuous implies extreme thinness, sheerness, or lack of substance and firmness.
a tenuous thread
While the synonyms thin and slender are close in meaning, thin implies comparatively little extension between surfaces or in diameter, or it may imply lack of substance, richness, or abundance.
thin wire
a thin soup