skimpy

adjective

ˈskim-pē 

skimpier; skimpiest

: deficient in supply or execution especially through skimping : scanty

skimpily

ˈskim-pə-lē 

adverb

skimpiness

ˈskim-pē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• exiguous
• hand-to-mouth
• light
• meager
• meagre
• niggardly
• poor
• scant
• scanty
• scarce
• skimp
• slender
• slim
• spare
• sparing
• sparse
• stingy

Choose the Right Synonym for skimpy

meager, scanty, scant, skimpy, spare, sparse mean falling short of what is normal, necessary, or desirable.

meager implies the absence of elements, qualities, or numbers necessary to a thing's richness, substance, or potency.

a meager portion of meat

scanty stresses insufficiency in amount, quantity, or extent.

supplies too scanty to last the winter

scant suggests a falling short of what is desired or desirable rather than of what is essential.

in January the daylight hours are scant

skimpy usually suggests niggardliness or penury as the cause of the deficiency.

tacky housing developments on skimpy lots

spare may suggest a slight falling short of adequacy or merely an absence of superfluity.

a spare, concise style of writing

sparse implies a thin scattering of units.

a sparse population

Examples of skimpy in a Sentence

the information in the user's manual for the microwave is skimpy and not particularly helpful

Recent Examples on the Web

But instead of deputies in skimpy running gear flashing the offending tattoos, a different problem plaguing the largest sheriff’s department in the nation became apparent. —Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2025

Tucked away in one corner of the show are reminders of the oppressive beauty standards pushed by fashion magazines and corporations as soon as swimwear got skimpier. —Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2025

While comic book writers and artists often complain about skimpy payments or lack of ample credit for the work that inspires movies, they generally are given a special thanks in the credits of those films. —Simon Abrams, HollywoodReporter, 25 Apr. 2025

Jones didn’t dress in skimpy tights or run around with a codename. —Nola Pfau, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1842, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for skimpy

• wimpy

Kids Definition

skimpy

adjective

ˈskim-pē 

skimpier; skimpiest

: barely enough : scanty

skimpily

-pə-lē 

adverb

skimpiness

-pē-nəs 

noun