Synonyms of slender

slender

adjective

ˈslen-dər 

1

as in thin

being of less than usual width

graceful, slender table legs

Synonyms & Similar Words

• thin
• narrow
• skinny
• slim
• fine
• needlelike
• tight
• linear
• ultrathin
• paper-thin
• close
• elongate
• spare
• condensed
• compressed
• slim-jim
• tightened
• lanky
• willowy
• squeezed
• hairline
• attenuated
• spindly
• constricted
• wispy
• reedy
• rangy
• stringy
• contracted
• twiggy
• lank
• stalky
• attenuate
• bottleneck
• shoestring

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• wide
• broad
• fat
• stocky
• thick
• stumpy
• thickset
• chunky
• squat
• voluminous
• bulky
• 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
• lean
• slim
• angular
• gaunt
• svelte
• lithe
• skeletal
• trim
• haggard
• fatless
• willowy
• spare
• wiry
• lanky
• scrawny
• sinewy
• spindly
• rawboned
• sylphlike
• reedy
• weedy
• stringy
• lank
• clean-limbed
• twiggy
• rangy
• scraggy
• pinched
• waspish
• anorexic
• emaciated
• meager
• wizened
• puny
• anorectic
• cadaverous
• slight
• spindling
• wasted

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• plump
• chubby
• corpulent
• stocky
• rotund
• fat
• thick
• fleshy
• obese
• overweight
• bulky
• stout
• portly
• beefy
• heavy
• gross
• chunky
• thickset
• tubby
• weighty
• heavyset
• burly
• stubby
• brawny
• husky
• pudgy
• dumpy
• squat
• paunchy
• flabby
• soft
• potbellied
• buxom
• full
• round
• roly-poly
• hippy
• zaftig

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
• poor
• slim
• meager
• skimpy
• scanty
• small
• lowest
• scant
• light
• short
• lacking
• exiguous
• stingy
• insufficient
• spare
• sparing
• thin
• inadequate
• mere
• thin on the ground
• minimal
• hand-to-mouth
• deficient
• skimp
• least
• slightest
• wanting
• littlest
• bare-bones
• sterile
• bare
• slight
• unfruitful
• barren
• unproductive
• infertile

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• generous
• ample
• abundant
• adequate
• sufficient
• liberal
• plentiful
• copious
• enough
• satisfactory
• bountiful
• rich
• fat
• fertile
• prolific
• fruitful
• tolerable
• plenteous
• lavish
• luxuriant
• extra
• fecund
• flourishing
• bursting
• thriving
• proliferative
• excess
• surplus
• blooming
• teeming
• swarming

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective slender contrast with its synonyms?

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

When is slight a more appropriate choice than slender?

The words slight and slender are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, slight implies smallness as well as thinness.

a slight build

When would slim be a good substitute for slender?

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

In what contexts can tenuous take the place of slender?

Although the words tenuous and slender have much in common, tenuous implies extreme thinness, sheerness, or lack of substance and firmness.

a tenuous thread

When might thin be a better fit than slender?

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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of slender

Carefully crafted rum cocktails pair well with each dish, and be sure to order the birthday flan, a slender rectangle of custard with rainbow sprinkles that’s joy on a plate. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026

Endangered amphibians in California include the desert slender salamander, a subterranean amphibian found in just two spots in Riverside County. —Sarah Linn, Sacbee.com, 22 Apr. 2026

The shrubs reach 6-15’ tall, and feature yellow flowers followed by glossy leaves and graceful, slender, light green branches. —Teresa Woodard, Midwest Living, 21 Apr. 2026

Pawleys Island, South Carolina This slender barrier island about 70 miles northeast of Charleston isn’t a tourist trap, and that’s how locals like it. —Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 17 Apr. 2026