willowy

/'wiloui/

Thân thiện

A dancer with a willowy figure practices at the barre.

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Slender and graceful: Describes a person, especially a woman, who is tall, thin, and moves in an elegant, graceful manner. It often implies a natural, lithe gracefulness.
   • Abounding with willows; flexible like a willow: Describes an area full of willow trees or an object that is slender and bends easily, reminiscent of a willow branch.

Usage and Examples

• Describing a person's physique and grace:
  • The dancer had a willowy figure that captivated the audience.
  • She moved across the room with a willowy grace.
• Describing a landscape or object:
  • The path led to a willowy stream bank.
  • The artist used willowy reeds to weave the basket.

Advanced Usage

• Figurative use for abstract qualities: Can be used metaphorically to describe something that is not physically thin but possesses a similar quality of elegant flexibility or fluidity.
  • Her willowy prose flowed effortlessly across the page.
• Comparative and Superlative Forms: "More willowy," "most willowy."

Variants and Related Words

• Willow (n): The type of tree, known for its slender, flexible branches, from which the adjective is derived.
• Willowiness (n): The quality of being willowy (less common).

Synonyms

• Slender: Thin in an attractive way.
• Lithesome: (Literary) Lithe and graceful.
• Svelte: Slender and elegant.
• Graceful: Having grace in movement or shape.

Antonyms

• Sturdy: Strongly and solidly built.
• Stout: Somewhat fat or heavy build.
• Awkward: Lacking grace in movement or shape.

Idioms and Phrases

• Willowy figure/grace: A common collocation emphasizing slender elegance.
  • She was admired for her willowy figure.
• Willowy as a reed: A simile comparing someone's slenderness to a thin plant.
  • The young model was as willowy as a reed.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. slender and graceful

Từ đồng nghĩa

• gracile