What does gangly mean?
Gangly is an informal adjective for someone or something whose proportions seem unusually long, thin, or awkwardly elongated. It is especially natural for a tall person with lanky limbs, but it can also describe a spindly animal, a crooked tree, or an awkwardly stretched building. Unlike simply saying “thin,” the word implies a conspicuous, slightly ungainly appearance rather than a measurement or condition. A person may “look gangly,” and “tall and gangly” is a familiar description; the adjective can stand before a noun, as in “gangly arms.” In British English it is particularly common, while American speakers also use it in similarly informal contexts. Its usefulness lies in capturing a whole visual impression—height, thinness, and physical awkwardness—more vividly and economically than “tall and thin” alone.
adjectiveLanky and awkwardly elongated in appearance, especially so as to have an ungainly gait or limbs.
- Having an unusually long, thin, or awkwardly elongated appearance.
"The young heron stood at the water's edge, tall and gangly."
"He grew gangly during his teenage years and soon needed to buy new trousers."
"The old wooden stairs looked particularly gangly against the whitewashed wall."
Gangly captures a whole silhouette—too tall, too thin, and not quite sure of its angles—in one memorable word.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does gangly come from?
Gangly is a 19th-century English formation usually connected with gang, an older English word for a group or company, together with the suffix -ly. The precise semantic development from that group-related word to the modern sense of being lanky or awkwardly elongated is not entirely transparent. The related form gangling came into use as a variant adjective with essentially the same meaning.
Related word forms
How gangly is actually used
The word is informal and is especially common in British English, though it is also used in American English. It is usually descriptive and can sound affectionate, amused, or mildly teasing depending on context.
Easily confused with gangly
Lanky focuses chiefly on being tall and thin, whereas gangly also suggests awkwardness or ungainliness.