While "willowy" itself is often used to describe a slender, graceful figure, it can sometimes have a negative connotation, particularly when it emphasizes a lack of substance or strength.
Here are some synonyms with negative connotations:
* Skeletal: This emphasizes thinness to the point of being unhealthy.
* Gaunt: This suggests a thinness that is caused by hardship or illness.
* Emaciated: This indicates extreme thinness due to starvation or disease.
* Fragile: This emphasizes weakness and vulnerability.
* Wasted: This implies a lack of vitality and health.
* Lanky: This suggests awkwardness and thinness, often in a way that is uncoordinated.
* Spindly: This emphasizes thinness and lack of strength, often used to describe limbs or plants.
Example:
* Positive: "She had a willowy figure, graceful and elegant."
* Negative: "He was so willowy, almost skeletal, that it was hard to believe he was healthy."
Remember, the connotation of a word depends on the context and how it is used.