Skip to main content
stalky

stalky

1 6.3
Having a long thin shape like a plant stem
  • adjective
  • /ˈstɔːki/
translation icon : tallo
  • As I walked through the field, I noticed the stalky herbs swaying gently in the wind.

Examples

  • She was grateful and, being theatrical, had brought him a bouquet of stalky orange and blue flowers.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • Stalky rows of corn and wheat, visible in the winter through a few inches of snow, follow the contours of the land.

    Academic text (2001)
  • The zinnias were rainbow-colored, slim, stalky, nodding in the breeze.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • The garden was filled with stalky sunflowers reaching for the sky.

  • The farmer admired the stalky corn plants that promised a bountiful harvest.

Synonyms

leggy
vsstalky
1 7.2

Plants grow long thin stems and few leaves when they get little light or are crowded

is about natural upright thin form rather than growth from poor light
stalklike
vsstalky
4.8

Thin and long like the stem of a plant

is the same meaning but formed with a different suffix
stalked
vsstalky
  • Specialized
5.2

A part that grows on a thin stem, like a flower or barnacle

focuses on likeness rather than having an actual attachment
long-stalked
vsstalky
5.1

A plant with long stems that hold leaves or flowers

emphasizes general slender likeness rather than measured attachment length
tall-stalked
vsstalky
5.3

A plant that has a long stem

describes upright thinness broadly rather than explicit attachment height
stemmed
vsstalky
3.1

Having a long thin part that holds the top, like a wine glass or flower

stresses resemblance in shape rather than actual supporting parts
pedunculated
vsstalky
  • Specialized
9.1

Attached to a thin stalk

describes the same upright thin shape in general language
pedicellate
vsstalky
  • Specialized
9.9

Flowers or fruits that grow on a small stalk

expresses general stalklike shape rather than specifically small connectors
wiry-stemmed
vsstalky
7.7

A thin strong plant stem that bends like wire

covers thin upright shape but not the tough flexible quality
spikelike
vsstalky
5.9

Long, thin and pointed like a sharp stick

means upright thin form without implying a pointed tip
stickly
vsstalky
8.4

Long and thin like a small branch

highlights plantlike upright form rather than sticklike appearance

Antonyms

1.0

Not long in distance, height, or time

22 1.3

Thick and full, spreading like a small bush, often for hair or tails

How Stalklike

stalky
1 6.3
stalklike
4.8
plantlike
1 3.9
slender
57 1.4

Surface Forms

stalky positive

Morphology

stalky = stalk (transparent) = stalk + y

Regular adjective formed from the noun 'stalk' with the productive suffix '-y', meaning 'having or resembling a stalk'.

Etymology

Stalky comes from the word stalk ('the long stem of a plant') plus -y meaning 'like' or 'full of'. So stalky describes something that looks or feels like a plant stem, for example plants or vegetables with long, thin stems or a stem-like, crunchy texture.