skinny as a rail
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Especially of a person, very skinny.
Register: colloquial
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
At fifteen, he was already six feet tall and skinny as a rail.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “skinny as a rail” mean?
Especially of a person, very skinny.
Is “skinny as a rail” formal or informal?
skinny as a rail is generally colloquial.