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leggy

leggy

7 4.6
A person or animal with long legs compared to the rest of the body
  • adjective
  • /ˈlɛɡi/
: de piernas largas
  • Four leggy young Black people cluster about a bicycle being repaired.
  • leggy blonde
  • leggy brunette
  • leggy supermodels

More fashionable, leggier, taller, more graceful.

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Examples

  • I also married Trixie, a leggy blonde who ran a boarding kennel.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • At a fashion ramp, a small crowd of mostly women has gathered to watch leggy models feature a particular line of lingerie.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • But I did spot the leggy blonde I'd seen with him at the track.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • He was a man of about forty with a big mustache, mounted on a leggy black mare.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • " Hattie Sinclair paused to look at her long, leggy daughter with apple leaves tangled in her hair.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • The shepherd frowned down at the leggy pup, her tail curling over her back and waving gently side to side.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Teresa was a native of Caracas, tall, leggy, with a cocoa-cream complexion, deep brown almond eyes, and thick, lustrous midnight dark hair.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • The dancer was incredibly leggy, with long limbs that emphasized her graceful movements.

  • During the fashion show, the leggy models strutted confidently down the runway in stunning outfits.

  • We spotted a leggy deer gracefully bounding through the meadow, its long legs making it look elegant.

Synonyms

lanky
vsleggy
21 4.0

A person who is tall and thin with long arms and legs that look a little awkward

means long legs in proportion without implying awkwardness
gangly
vsleggy
10 6.1

Being tall and thin with long, awkward arms and legs

describes proportional leg length without the awkward tone
long-legged
vsleggy
8 2.8

Having legs that are longer than the rest of the body

is the common term for the same proportional long leg trait
rangy
vsleggy
3 7.2

Tall and thin with long arms and legs

focuses on leg proportion rather than overall tall thin build
twiggy
vsleggy
1 6.0

Very thin in a way that looks like a small branch

refers specifically to leg proportion rather than extreme thinness
stalky
vsleggy
1 5.9

Being tall and thin with long awkward arms and legs

indicates proportional leg length rather than awkward tall thinness
spindle-shanked
vsleggy
1 9.0

A person or animal with long thin legs

emphasizes length without stressing slim delicate appearance
long-shanked
vsleggy
1 7.7

A person or animal with long legs

focuses on proportional leg length rather than absolute height
spindle-legged
vsleggy
1 8.5

A thing like a chair or bird with long, thin legs that look delicate

highlights proportional leg length rather than delicate thinness
spindlelegs
vsleggy
  • Informal
9.9

Long thin legs that look delicate

refers to long legs without adding the delicate spindle image

Antonyms

20 2.8

Short and wide in body with a solid build

How Long-Legged

lanky
21 4.0
leggy
7 4.6
long-legged
8 2.8

Surface Forms

leggy positive

Morphology

leggy = leg (transparent) = leg + y

A direct adjectival formation meaning 'having legs' or 'characterized by legs'; for descriptions of people or animals this is a literal and predictable meaning.

Etymology

Leggy comes from the English word leg plus the ending -y, so it literally means 'having legs' or 'leg-like'. So when we call a person or animal leggy, we mean they have long legs compared with their body, like a model or a fast runner.