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
But Colson, a wiry outdoors enthusiast fizzing with energy, has hiked and biked every inch of the island and made a point of recruiting local heroes like Tzavelakos, who teaches diving to hotel guests, and Sotiria Antonopoulou, who leads private tours of Ioulida.
—Rachel Howard, Travel + Leisure, 14 Apr. 2025
Is this the genuine cargo or some wiry wisp of a Ringo impersonator?
—Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2025
White’s wiry, versatile, energetic, intelligent and strong.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2025
One was a short, funny, wiry kid named Ernie, who had grand theft auto on his résumé.
—Graydon Carter, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wiry
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Rachel Howard, Travel + Leisure, 14 Apr. 2025
Is this the genuine cargo or some wiry wisp of a Ringo impersonator?
—Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2025
White’s wiry, versatile, energetic, intelligent and strong.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2025
One was a short, funny, wiry kid named Ernie, who had grand theft auto on his résumé.
—Graydon Carter, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wiry
Cite this Entry
“Wiry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wiry. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share