1 gaunt | Definition of gaunt
Logo
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

gaunt

adjective
\ ˈgȯnt How to pronounce gaunt (audio) , ˈgänt\

Definition of gaunt

1 : excessively thin and angular a long gaunt face
2 : barren, desolate
Other Words from gaunt Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about gaunt

Keep scrolling for more

Other Words from gaunt

gauntly adverb
gauntness noun

Choose the Right Synonym for gaunt

lean, spare, lank, lanky, gaunt, rawboned, scrawny, skinny mean thin because of an absence of excess flesh. lean stresses lack of fat and of curving contours. a lean racehorse spare suggests leanness from abstemious living or constant exercise. the gymnast's spare figure lank implies tallness as well as leanness. the lank legs of the heron lanky suggests awkwardness and loose-jointedness as well as thinness. a lanky youth, all arms and legs gaunt implies marked thinness or emaciation as from overwork or suffering. a prisoner's gaunt face rawboned suggests a large ungainly build without implying undernourishment. a rawboned farmer scrawny and skinny imply an extreme leanness that suggests deficient strength and vitality. a scrawny chicken skinny street urchins

Examples of gaunt in a Sentence

He left the hospital looking tired and gaunt. a gaunt factory on the edge of town

Recent Examples on the Web

 Consumption often caused a bloody cough and left victims pale and gaunt with blood in the corners of their mouths, author and folklorist Michael Bell wrote. — Author: Michael E. Ruane, Anchorage Daily News, "Remains of an American ‘vampire’ were found about 30 years ago. Now DNA is giving him new life.," 1 Aug. 2019 But decades of strain in one of the city’s most demanding jobs were apparent in the stooped shoulders and the gaunt face lined with legal decisions. — Robert D. Mcfadden, New York Times, "Robert Morgenthau, Longtime Manhattan District Attorney, Dies at 99," 21 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gaunt.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

See More

First Known Use of gaunt

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for gaunt

Middle English

Keep scrolling for more

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for gaunt

gaunt

adjective
How to pronounce gaunt (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of gaunt

: very thin usually because of illness or suffering
literary : plain and unpleasant in appearance : desolate and gloomy

See the full definition for gaunt in the English Language Learners Dictionary

gaunt

adjective
\ ˈgȯnt How to pronounce gaunt (audio) \
gaunter; gauntest

Kids Definition of gaunt

: very thin and bony (as from illness or hunger) a gaunt face

Keep scrolling for more

More from Merriam-Webster on gaunt

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with gaunt

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for gaunt

Spanish Central: Translation of gaunt

Nglish: Translation of gaunt for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of gaunt for Arabic Speakers

WORD OF THE DAY

See Definitions and Examples

Get Word of the Day daily email!

×

You're never
too cool to learn something new.

Sign up for our Word of the Day
daily newsletter!

No thanks, maybe later.