# slender

/ˈsɫɛndɝ/ (US) · /slˈɛndɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/slender
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. thin and graceful

adjective · CEFR B2

thin in an attractive or elegant way.

For teachers: gracefully thin or slim in physical form; carries a generally positive or aesthetic connotation.

- The dancer had long, slender legs that made her movements look very elegant.
- The architect designed the pavilion with slender steel columns to create a sense of weightlessness and transparency against the garden backdrop.

### 2. small or limited

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal

very small in amount or size, often not enough.

For teachers: limited or meagre in amount, size, or degree; often used to describe chances, resources, or evidence.

- The team only has a slender lead, so they could still lose the game.
- The prosecution's case rested on a slender thread of circumstantial evidence that the defence was quick to challenge during the cross-examination.

### 3. linguistics

adjective · CEFR C2 · Technical

a special way of pronouncing certain sounds in languages like Irish.

For teachers: referring to palatalized consonants in the phonology of Goidelic languages, such as Irish or Scottish Gaelic.

- In Irish, the sound of the letter 's' changes if it is slender.
- The distinction between broad and slender consonants is a fundamental feature of Irish phonology, affecting both the vowel quality and the articulation of the consonant itself.

Usage: In Celtic linguistics, 'slender' is the opposite of 'broad'.

## Examples

- She has long, slender fingers.
- The model wore a slender silver necklace that complemented her elegant evening gown.
- The architect designed a slender skyscraper that seemed to pierce the clouds without overwhelming the historic skyline of the city below.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.