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thinness

thinness

2 2.3
A person who has very little body fat
  • noun
  • /ˈθɪn.nəs/
translation icon : delgadez
  • BMI was chosen as the measure of thinness for several reasons.
  • drive for thinness
  • body dissatisfaction and thinness
  • thinness and bulimia

She saw scars across his face and head, his alert thinness, the way he favored his right leg.

Examples

  • The pursuit of thinness, therefore, may be a vehicle to improve a dancer's self-concept.

    Academic text (2004)
  • How could you be expected to rebel against years of society's programming that equates thinness with quality?

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Though, for both groups of women, low body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness were the strongest predictors of low SPA.

    Academic text (2001)
  • The majority of female gymnasts reported a higher drive for thinness and lower self-esteem than female norms on these measures.

    Academic text (2004)
  • She saw scars across his face and head, his alert thinness, the way he favored his right leg.

  • Body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness were the strongest predictors of SPA in exercisers.

    Academic text (2001)
  • In fashion magazines, the ideal of thinness often pressures young women to adhere to unrealistic body standards.

  • Many athletes strive for a certain level of thinness to enhance their performance and agility in their sport.

  • The controversy around promoting thinness in advertising raises important questions about body image and self-acceptance.

Synonyms

leanness
vsthinness
1 3.4

Having little body fat and being thin

is the more general name for that same physical state
slimness
vsthinness
1 2.7

Being thin in a way that looks attractive

refers neutrally to lack of body fat without attractiveness
slightness
vsthinness
1 6.1

A thin, small body that looks weak

focuses simply on low body fat rather than delicate build or weakness
skinniness
vsthinness
1 4.9

Being very thin in a way that looks unhealthy

means lack of body fat without implying poor health
scrawniness
vsthinness
1 8.2

Being very thin with little body fat

is the neutral term for low body fat, not the negative look
gauntness
vsthinness
1 8.4

A very thin appearance because of illness or not having enough food

is the neutral concept of little body fat, not the illness cause
spareness
vsthinness
7.4

A thin body with very little fat

is the general idea of having little body fat rather than style
boniness
vsthinness
7.9

Being very thin with bones clearly showing, often from illness or lack of food

is the general condition of having little body fat, not bone focus
bonyness
vsthinness
8.8

A state of being very thin so that bones show clearly

covers only the general lack of body fat without extreme bone show
wasteness
vsthinness
  • Archaic
9.9

A very thin, weak body caused by illness or lack of food

denotes the general state of low body fat without specifying cause

Antonyms

146 3.9

A condition where a person has too much body fat that harms health

6 1.0

A state of having too much body weight

How Thin

emaciation
  • Specialized
1 8.6
thinness
2 2.3
overweight
146 2.2

Surface Forms

thinness singular
thinnesses plural

Morphology

thinness = thin (transparent) = thin + ness

Standard nominalization from the adjective 'thin' by the productive suffix '-ness', yielding the state or quality 'being thin'.

Etymology

Thinness comes from thin + -ness, meaning 'state of being thin'. Picture a person with very little body fat; that slim shape is their thinness, which explains the word's use for small body weight or slimness.