Dictionary

gangly en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˈɡæŋɡli/ (UK, US)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

An American English alteration of gangling.

Meanings

1. Tall and thin, especially so as to cause physical awkwardness.
   • A rangy, gangly, Scandinavian youth of a sailor, droop-shouldered, six feet six and slender as a lath, with pallid eyes of palest blue and skin and hair attuned to the same colour scheme, joined Kwaque in his work. 1917, Jack London, chapter XV, in Michael, Brother of Jerry:
   • She was gangly and wild and walked with her wrists turned inside out... 1986, John le Carré, A Perfect Spy:
   • Individuals of this rabbit species tend to be very large (about the size of a beagle dog); they have long ears and long, gangly legs and a very thin fur coats. 2007, Oswald J. Schmitz, Ecology and Ecosystem Conservation, page 34:
   • [Peter Crouch] The gangly striker played a one-two with Jermaine Pennant as the winger cut in from the right, and although Pennant easily jinked past centre-half Brede Hangeland, he shot narrowly wide of the far post. 2011 October 15, Owen Phillips, “Stoke 2 - 0 Fulham”, in BBC Sport:
   • I should have shot that long gangly lubber they called Hank, if I could have done it without crippling six or seven other people—but of course I couldn't, […] 1870–1871 (date written), Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], chapter VII, in Roughing It, Hartford, Conn.: American Publishing Company [et al.], published 1872, →OCLC, page 61:
   • He was a tall, gangly, shy satirist who mumbled to you with his head turned away and always said funny things. 1957 September 5, Jack Kerouac, On the Road, New York, N.Y.: Viking Press, →OCLC:

Forms

Deriveds

gangly drink of water · gangliness

Relateds

gangling

Synonyms

lanky

Translations (16)

fi hontelo (tall and thin, especially so as to cause physical awkwardness) · fi hoikka (tall and thin, especially so as to cause physical awkwardness) · sv gänglig (tall and thin, especially so as to cause physical awkwardness) · da ranglet (tall and thin, especially so as to cause physical awkwardness) · it spilungone (tall and thin, especially so as to cause physical awkwardness) · it allampanato (tall and thin, especially so as to cause physical awkwardness) · es ñengue (tall and thin, especially so as to cause physical awkwardness) · es ñengo (tall and thin, especially so as to cause physical awkwardness) · ru долговязый (tall and thin, especially so as to cause physical awkwardness) · nl slungelig (tall and thin, especially so as to cause physical awkwardness) · bg слаб (tall and thin, especially so as to cause physical awkwardness) · fr dégingandé (tall and thin, especially so as to cause physical awkwardness) · ceb lagwis (tall and thin, especially so as to cause physical awkwardness) · nb hengslete (tall and thin, especially so as to cause physical awkwardness) · es ñango (tall and thin, especially so as to cause physical awkwardness) · bg тънък (tall and thin, especially so as to cause physical awkwardness)