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twiggy

twiggy

1 6.0
Very thin in a way that looks like a small branch
  • adjective
  • /ˈtwɪɡi/
translation icon : delgado
  • You seem kind of twiggy.
  • twiggy legs
  • twiggy arms
  • twiggy branches

Examples

  • "Oh, hush before you spout worse rubbish," Merlin prodded her in the small of the back with his twiggy finger.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Whatever the boogieman was, I bolted straight into a grove of dead twiggy saplings and was snapping off.

    Blog text (33)
  • And I'm so very glad it wasn't just a bunch of twiggy white twentysomethings from Portland, OR.

    Blog text (31)
  • The reddish, purplish forked upstanding Twiggy stuff of bushes and small trees with dead brown leaves under them.

  • He raised drooping eyelids to regard me, then rolled to his other side, covered his face with twiggy paws, and continued his fidgeting slumber.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • Why, no sooner did that child set foot on the soil of the Cottonwood than he doubled over, wrapped those twiggy arms around that chicken chest of his, screwed up the beadiest pair of eyes I ever did see that weren't attached to some sort of rodent, and started coughing.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • Despite the heat and Dr. Jones's dull lecture, the same speech he trotted out every year, despite the droning of bees beyond the open windows, where a hedge of twiggy China roses still grew, people took notice of the new photography instructor, Betsy Chase.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • The windward sides of the tree trunks were soaked; the leeward branches shivered in anticipation of more rain, wagging their twiggy ends at me as if saying,

    Fiction book (2002)
  • After starting a new workout routine, she noticed her arms looked a bit more twiggy than before.

  • The model walked down the runway, showcasing her twiggy figure in a stunning designer dress.

Synonyms

thin
vstwiggy
314 1.0

Having little body fat and a slim shape

is more narrowly the very narrow branchlike appearance rather than general slimness
skinny
vstwiggy
298 1.3

Very thin in a way that looks unhealthy

is less negative, focusing on elegant narrowness rather than poor health
slim
vstwiggy
60 1.0

Thin and with little body fat

is closer to a branchlike thinness with sharper shape rather than just delicate
scrawny
vstwiggy
  • Informal
40 4.2

Very thin and weak in a way that looks unhealthy

is a thin but more attractive and healthy appearing form
wispy
vstwiggy
7 3.8

Thin and light in form, like a small person or light cloth

is more solidly slender and not fragile or feeble in look
skeletal
vstwiggy
5 6.0

Very thin with bones showing under the skin

is thinner in look but without implying severe illness or wasting
skinny as a rail
vstwiggy
  • Informal
1 7.0

Very thin person with little or no fat

is less extreme and more about delicate branch shape rather than severe thinness
twiglike
vstwiggy
5.3

Thin and small like a little branch

is a very thin form but more generally slender than branchlike
stickly
vstwiggy
8.4

Long and thin like a small branch

is similar but suggests a softer, more elegant slenderness
slim-bodied
vstwiggy
3.5

Having a thin, narrow body shape

is more about delicate branch shape rather than general slimness
slender-bodied
vstwiggy
4.6

Having a long thin body

is more about a very thin, slender visual than general narrowness
thin-bodied
vstwiggy
4.5

An animal or object with a slim, narrow body

is more exclusively the very thin branchlike look than general slim body
boney
vstwiggy
  • US
3.4

Thin so you can see or feel the bones

is thinner but not necessarily showing bones or emaciation
scraggy
vstwiggy
7.9

Very thin and bony in a way that looks unhealthy

is neater and more slender in shape, not rough or unkempt

Antonyms

112 3.9

Strong and able to work well in difficult conditions

3 3.9

Rather heavy in body, often said politely about a person

How Thin

twiggy
1 6.0
slim
60 1.0
thin
314 1.0
stocky
20 2.8

Surface Forms

twiggy positive

Morphology

twiggy = twig (transparent) = twig + y

The adjective 'twiggy' is transparently derived from 'twig' with the suffix '-y', indicating resemblance or having the quality of a twig.

Etymology

Twiggy comes from twig, meaning 'small branch', plus the ending -y meaning 'like' or 'full of'. The image is someone 'like a twig', very thin, and the 1960s model called Twiggy made that picture famous. So, twiggy means very thin or slender.