What does lankier mean?
Lankier is the comparative form of the adjective lanky. It describes someone or something as being especially tall, thin, and somewhat awkward or ungainly in appearance. The word is often used for people, animals, plants, or drawn figures whose elongated proportions seem conspicuous: a tall adolescent may be called lanky, while a tree with sparse, stretched branches can be described as lanky. Lankier is most useful when comparing two people or objects, as in a sentence that identifies one as the thinner, taller, or more awkward-looking of the pair. The term can be mildly descriptive but may also carry an unkind or teasing implication when applied to a person's appearance. It is distinct from thin in general, since it suggests an exaggerated degree of height and slender awkwardness rather than merely low body weight.
adjectiveMore lanky: taller, thinner, and somewhat ungainly in appearance.
- Tall, thin, and awkward or ungainly in appearance, especially in comparison with someone or something else.
"The lankier of the two brothers now towers over his younger sibling."
"He grew lankier during his final year at school."
"The sculptor gave the figure longer, lankier limbs."
Lankier is the comparative of lanky, a word for someone tall and thin enough to resemble a stretched-out stick.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of lankier
The modern adjective lanky developed in the 19th century by adding the suffix -y to lank, an older English word for thin or elongated. Lanky originally carried a somewhat more negative sense of tall, thin, and gangly. The modern comparative lankier follows the usual English pattern of adding -er to an adjective ending in -y, while lankiest is its superlative.
Related word forms
How lankier is actually used
This comparative form is most natural when making an explicit comparison. In everyday description, the positive form 'lanky' is normally preferred, and the superlative is 'lankiest'.