leaner

[lee-ner] / ˈli nər /

ADJECTIVE

bare, thin

Synonyms

STRONGEST

angular gangly gaunt lanky rangy sinewy skinny slender slim sparse svelte wiry

STRONG

barren emaciated haggard poor scanty shadow spare stick stilt wasted worn

WEAK

beanpole bony gangling inadequate infertile lank meager no fat pitiful rawboned scraggy scrawny stringy sylphlike twiggy unfruitful unproductive wizened

Antonyms

STRONGEST

chubby fat heavy plump thick

STRONG

fertile fresh strong

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Boosted by powerful new artificial-intelligence tools, Silicon Valley startups are running leaner than ever, spawning new benchmarks like revenue-per-employee and even talk of the billion-dollar, one-person company.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026

But his pre-season preparation was key in matching those demands this season, with the midfielder visibly leaner and stronger.

From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026

"It links Zhang and Liu's investigations as part of the efforts to professionalise the military and make it leaner to be effective to win wars," Lim told AFP.

From Barron's • Feb. 2, 2026

The company, which announced 13,000 job cuts in November, has gotten leaner and “will not settle for anything less than being the best,” he added.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 30, 2026

His smart-fitting army uniform made him look straighter, leaner, and the sleeve had a skull-and-bones image next to the half of a yellow sun.

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie