Delgado

Delgado
 

I have a few words with this meaning (delgado): lean, slender, thin, slim, gaunt, lank, spare.

Are all these words appropriate for persons?

The other day I read in a webpage that thin was not formal (and that surprised me). Which of them could I use in a formal way applied to people?

Thanks. :)

Thin is in not at all informal. It is neutral. The word skinny is informal,
Gaunt, lank, spare, skin and bones generally have negative connotations.
Thin, slim, slender, lean, lithe, generally have positive connations.

Thanks, Poli (and thanks for adding a few more) :)

May I use all of them with people? For instance, I know that once I read a sermon about a "slender thread". Could I apply "slender" to a person?

Not common, but yes.:)

She was of slender build (literary)
She was small and slender

(It sounds more natural to apply to women, but I'm sure that's just me)

And the other ones? :thinking:

Of people: lean, slight, slim, svelte, sylphlike, willowy. :crazy:

I misread the question. :banghead::banghead: The others can be applied to people as well.

Thanks! :)

The one word I would not use for thin when referring to a person is spare.
An example of how you can use spare: In in the earthquake zone medical
supplies are now spare.(or medical supplies are in thin supply)
The word slender is often used in diet advertisements, because it sounds
nicer than thin. Example: After going on the --- diet she looks so slender
and beautiful. He bought the amazing slenderizing machine advertised on
the television.

Yes, I missed that one. :o

Thanks, Poli. :)

Sería "lanky" para describir a una persona. "Lank" es para el pelo.

"Lanky" tiene connotaciones de brazos y piernas muy largas. Si conoces lo que es el síndrome de Marfan tendrás buena idea de lo de que se trata.

No, no lo sabía. Ahora sí. :D

I have a question.

Skinny means Falquito?

Is it right?

Thin means delgado as Poli said before it's a connotation appropriate in English.

Yes, skinny= flaco o flaquito
thin=delgado

I would say omit lean and spare. Lean is the common description of meat with little fat but usually is not applied to the human form, but it can be. I cannot think of any way to use spare in that context. A more common use of lank would be lanky. Such as: "A tall and lanky man was leaning on the fence." The man would be thin with long arms and legs. If you really want to understand the word lanky, find some pictures of Abraham Lincoln. After looking at Old Abe you won't ever forget lanky.

Thank you for the advance.

Lank- means alto y flaco good contribution.
I didn't know it.

Yes, I've seen several pictures of Lincoln. :)

But dictionary magic soft gives this example: the spare figure of a marathon runner.

http://www.wordmagicsoft.com/diccion...n-es/spare.php

:thinking: