Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[BMO]

She looks lean and lanky. Do you think lanky is redundant here?

Thanks.

[CP]

Lean means without much fat. Lanky means thin all over.

Take a look at world-class sprinters. They are very lean but usually very muscular, so they are not lanky.
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You live a new life for every new language you speak. -Czech proverb

[BMO]

You are saying lean is not skinny, right?

Thanks.

[CP]

A very thin / slender / skinny / willowy person is likely to be lean, because of lack of fat. But many powerfully built athletes are also very lean, although not thin or willowy at all. They have very little fat, so they are lean.

Lanky people tend to be tall and long-limbed. They usually are or at least apear to be thin. Yao Ming is lanky; Shaquille O'Neal is not.
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You live a new life for every new language you speak. -Czech proverb

[BMO]

Thanks.

bmo

[iitimone7]

lanky may also refer to someone being uncoordinated.

she's so tall and lanky that she cannot control the soccer ball as well as her other teammates do.

iitimone7

[BMO]

Okay, thanks. It does look like lean and lanky are not redundant.