Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Resembling a reed in being upright and slender: Describing something that is tall, thin, and often fragile-looking, similar to the stem of a reed plant.
   • Having a tone of a reed instrument: Describing a sound, especially a voice, that is thin, high-pitched, and sometimes harsh, like the sound produced by a musical instrument that uses a reed (e.g., an oboe or clarinet).

Usage Examples

• Resembling a reed:
  • The reedy stalks of the plants swayed in the wind.
  • He had a reedy build, all long limbs and sharp angles.
• Having a reed-like tone:
  • Her reedy voice struggled to be heard over the orchestra.
  • The old recording featured a singer with a distinct, reedy timbre.

Advanced Usage

• "Reedy" to describe an environment: While the core meaning relates to resemblance, it can imply an area full of reeds.
  • They poled the boat through the reedy marsh.
• Figurative use for weakness: Can imply a lack of substance or strength beyond physical appearance.
  • His argument was reedy and unconvincing.

Variants and Related Words

• Reed (n): A tall, slender-leaved plant of the grass family that grows in wetlands; a thin strip of material in the mouthpiece of some wind instruments that vibrates to produce sound.
• Reediness (n): The quality of being reedy.

Synonyms

• Slender: Thin in an attractive or graceful way.
• Thin: Having little, or too little, flesh or fat.
• Shrill: (For sound) High-pitched and piercing.
• Piercing: (For sound) Very loud, high, and unpleasant.

Antonyms

• Sturdy: Strongly and solidly built.
• Robust: Strong and healthy; vigorous.
• Sonorous: (For sound) Capable of producing a deep or ringing sound.
• Full-bodied: (For sound) Rich and strong in quality or tone.

Related Phrases and Descriptions

• A reedy figure: A phrase describing a person with a very thin, tall physique.
  • The basketball player was a reedy figure on the court.
• A reedy sound/voice: A common collocation to describe a specific vocal or instrumental quality.
  • The folk song was accompanied by the reedy sound of a harmonica.

Adjective

1. resembling a reed in being upright and slender
2. having a tone of a reed instrument