wiry
adjective
wirier
ˈwī-rē-ər 
; wiriest
; wiriest
1
a
archaic
: made of wire
b
: resembling wire especially in form and flexibility
the wiry coat of the Irish terrier
wiry stems
c
of sound
: produced by or suggestive of the vibration of wire
the violinist … often let his tone go nasal and wiry—
D. J. Henahan
D. J. Henahan2
: being lean, supple, and vigorous : sinewy
the wiry figure of a long-distance runner—Phoenix Flame
Phoenix FlameExamples of wiry in a Sentence
a man with long, wiry arms
She was lean and wiry from years of working out.
He has dark, wiry hair.
Recent Examples on the Web
The pouch was crossed by three curving seams that were knotted shut with railroad tracks of black wiry thread.
—Caleb Crain, The New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2024
Big bellies and butts — and skinny teens and roly-poly toddlers and wiry grandpas and even Ken and Barbie look-alikes — are everywhere, all mixed in together.
—Kate Cohen, Washington Post, 22 July 2024
At 60, Azaria is impressively wiry, with Eighties-Bruce-worthy biceps lurking under his black V-neck tee.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 14 July 2024
The sunlight streams in like languid honey, drenches Carolla, who stands in it, her wiry hair ablaze, not surprised to see him.
—Annie Proulx, The New Yorker, 30 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for wiry 
Caleb Crain, The New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2024
Big bellies and butts — and skinny teens and roly-poly toddlers and wiry grandpas and even Ken and Barbie look-alikes — are everywhere, all mixed in together.
—Kate Cohen, Washington Post, 22 July 2024
At 60, Azaria is impressively wiry, with Eighties-Bruce-worthy biceps lurking under his black V-neck tee.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 14 July 2024
The sunlight streams in like languid honey, drenches Carolla, who stands in it, her wiry hair ablaze, not surprised to see him.
—Annie Proulx, The New Yorker, 30 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for wiry
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wiry.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Wiry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wiry. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
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