adjective

slender

/ˈslɛndər/ · say it: SLEN·der

gracefully thin

In Describing & Comparing

In more detail

1. (adjective) thin and graceful in appearance

2. (adjective) small in amount or extent; slight

Examples

1. She has a slender figure.
2. We have only a slender chance of winning the competition.

How to use slender

Slender is used to describe people or body parts that are thin in an attractive or elegant way, contrasting with more neutral terms like thin. It can also mean meager or inadequate when applied to amounts, chances, or resources. The adjective carries a subtly positive tone in the physical sense but often suggests insufficiency or thinness in the abstract sense.

Common phrases

slender figure
slender waist
slender chance
slender margins
slender resources
slender build

Synonyms

slim · lean · lithe · slight · graceful

Opposites

thick · stout · broad

Word family

slenderness (noun) · slenderly (adverb)

A common mistake

Learners sometimes use slender for inanimate objects (e.g., a slender book) when slim or thin would be more natural; slender is primarily reserved for people, body parts, and abstract concepts like chances or margins.

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