Word
scrawny
US/ˈskɹɔni/
UK/skɹˈɔːni/
Definition
adj. very thin and weak-looking. You use this to describe someone who is not healthy or strong because they do not have much muscle or fat.
adj. extremely thin and weak in appearance, typically due to a lack of muscle mass or poor nutrition. Often carries a slightly negative or derogatory tone.
Examples
“The stray cat looked scrawny and hungry.”
“After weeks of working in the hot sun without enough water, the workers looked scrawny and exhausted.”
“The child's scrawny frame was a stark contrast to the robust health of his siblings, prompting the doctor to investigate further for signs of malnutrition.”
Examples
simple
“The stray cat looked scrawny and hungry.”
contextual
“After weeks of working in the hot sun without enough water, the workers looked scrawny and exhausted.”
complex
“The child's scrawny frame was a stark contrast to the robust health of his siblings, prompting the doctor to investigate further for signs of malnutrition.”
Etymology
A variant of dialectal scranny (“thin; lean; scraggy; poor; scanty; of inferior quality”), perhaps from Old Norse skran (“rubbish; junk”) + -y. Compare Norwegian skran (“lean, thin, skinny”), English scrannel (“lean; meager; poor; worthless”). Alternatively, perhaps from Old Norse skrælna (“to be shrivelled”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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