What does wiry mean?
Wiry is an adjective describing something thin, tough, and flexible, like a metal wire. It is often applied to a person's lean or sinewy build, wiry muscles, coarse wiry hair, or a plant's wiry stems. These descriptions imply strength and resilience despite a slender appearance. Wiry can also describe a voice, manner, or emotional state that seems tense, strained, or nervous. The adjective is useful because it combines two related impressions: something may look slight yet feel remarkably strong, while a person described as wiry may appear alert but visibly on edge. Although it occurs in both British and American English, its figurative use has a somewhat literary quality. The word's sound and imagery are especially memorable because its final syllable makes the comparison with wire explicit, turning an ordinary material into a concise description of texture, build, and nervous energy.
adjectiveThin, tough, and flexible, like a wire. In figurative use, it describes a person, voice, or manner that appears tense, nervous, or strained.
- Thin, tough, and flexible, resembling a wire.
- Nervous, tense, or strained in manner.
"The sprinter's wiry frame seemed built for speed rather than strength."
"His wiry fingers tightened around the rope."
"She heard the speaker's wiry, nervous voice over the telephone."
Wiry compresses wire, tension, and vitality into one vivid adjective.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does wiry come from?
Wiry was formed in English in the early 17th century by adding the suffix -y to wire. Wire itself comes from Old English wīr, an old word for metal wire and thread. The modern adjective therefore develops the earlier noun's physical sense of a thin, tough strand, while its figurative use extends the idea of tautness to nervous or strained states.
How wiry is actually used
The physical sense is common in descriptions of people, hair, plants, and animals. The figurative sense is somewhat literary and often suggests nervous tension rather than ordinary excitement.
Easily confused with wiry
Wiry means thin and tough like wire or tense and nervous, whereas wary means cautious and alert to danger.