US /ɡɔnt/ UK /ɡɔːnt/
adj

Meanings

  1. 1
    adj

    lean and haggard, especially from illness or hardship

    His gaunt face showed the toll of the long famine.

Thesaurus

Synonyms
1 adj · lean and haggard,... haggardemaciatedthinskeletalcadaverousdrawnwasted
Word family
Derived forms gauntnessgauntly

Etymology

Of uncertain origin, first attested in the 15th century; perhaps from a Scandinavian source akin to Norwegian dialect 'gand' ('thin stick').

Topics

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