Spindly describes something long and thin in a way that looks too weak to hold itself up. The key is that second half: it is not a compliment about being slim, it is a small worry that the thing might snap or give way.

Spindlyspindly describes形容的是 something long and thin一個又長又細的東西，in a way that looks too weak to hold itself up看起來弱到撐不住自己的樣子。The key is重點在於 that second half後半段那個意思：it is not它不是 a compliment about being slim在稱讚身材苗條，it is而是 a small worry一個小小的擔心 that the thing might snap or give way擔心那個東西可能會斷掉或塌掉。

A newborn goat on spindly legs, a spindly little tree that will not survive the wind, a table with spindly legs you would not put a television on, a seedling gone spindly and pale because it was kept away from the light. It is an adjective, most often used before a noun, and it goes especially with legs, arms, fingers, branches, stems and the legs of furniture.

A newborn goat比如一隻剛出生的小羊 on spindly legs站在細細長長的腿上、a spindly little tree一棵細長瘦弱的小樹 that will not survive the wind撐不過風的、a table with spindly legs一張腿細細的桌子 you would not put a television on你不會敢在上面放電視的、a seedling一株小苗 gone spindly and pale長得又細又蒼白 because it was kept away from the light因為它被放在照不到光的地方。It is這是 an adjective一個形容詞，most often used before a noun最常放在名詞前面用，and it goes especially with而且特別常搭配 legs, arms, fingers, branches, stems and the legs of furniture腿、手臂、手指、樹枝、莖，還有家具的腿。

Applied to a person it is gently unkind — 'his spindly arms' says weak, not elegant. For a person you admire you would say slender or slim.

Applied to a person用在一個人身上時 it is gently unkind算是溫和的不客氣——'his spindly arms'像「his spindly arms」（他那細瘦的手臂） says weak, not elegant說的是虛弱，不是優雅。For a person you admire對一個你欣賞的人 you would say你會說 slender or slimslender或slim（纖細、苗條）。

The feeling of the word is affectionate more often than cruel. There is something a bit comic and a bit tender in it; people use it about baby animals and about old wooden chairs.

The feeling of the word這個詞的感覺 is affectionate more often than cruel多半是帶點疼愛，而不是刻薄。There is something有一種感覺 a bit comic and a bit tender in it帶點好笑又帶點溫柔在裡面；people大家 use it about baby animals會用它形容小動物 and about old wooden chairs也會用它形容老舊的木椅。

Compare its neighbours: skinny is blunt and about people, scrawny is harsher and suggests poor feeding, gangly means tall and awkward but strong enough, and spindly is the one that says 'that could break'.

Compare its neighbours比較一下它的近義詞：skinnyskinny（皮包骨） is blunt and about people比較直接、講的是人，scrawnyscrawny（乾瘦） is harsher and suggests poor feeding更刺耳、暗示營養不良，ganglygangly（瘦高笨拙） means tall and awkward but strong enough指高高瘦瘦、動作笨拙但還算撐得住，and而spindlyspindly is the one that says才是那個在說 'that could break'「這可能會斷掉」的詞。

The picture inside the word is a spindle — the thin rod used for spinning thread by hand, and later the thin turned rods you see in the back of a wooden chair. Once you see the chair, you have the word.

The picture inside the word這個詞裡面的畫面 is a spindle是一支spindle（紡錘）——the thin rod用手紡線用的 used for spinning thread by hand那根細細的桿子，and later而後來也指 the thin turned rods你在木椅椅背上看到的 you see in the back of a wooden chair那些細細車出來的桿子。Once you see the chair一旦你看到那把椅子，you have the word你就抓到這個詞的感覺了。