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

In March 2024, West shared an Instagram Reel of his wife wearing a lacy bodysuit days after wearing a similarly skimpy outfit at Milan Fashion Week. —David Matthews, New York Daily News, 3 Feb. 2025

And if the Jaguars do not pull themselves out of the AFC South abyss, owner Shad Khan will be ridiculed for letting a guy with a skimpy resume have a huge say in picking the team’s next general manager. —John Romano, Orlando Sentinel, 25 Jan. 2025

Airline's new dress code policy bans skimpy clothing, offensive tattoos. —Fox News, 24 Jan. 2025

Its subscription includes unlimited computers but notably skimpier storage than IDrive Team, starting at just 250GB. —Robert Anderson, PCMAG, 22 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1842, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

skimpy

adjective

ˈskim-pē 

skimpier; skimpiest

: barely enough : scanty

skimpily

-pə-lē 

adverb

skimpiness

-pē-nəs 

noun