skinny

1 of 2

adjective

skin·​ny ˈski-nē 

skinnier; skinniest

1

: resembling skin : membranous

2

a

: lacking sufficient flesh : very thin : emaciated

b

: lacking usual or desirable bulk, quantity, qualities, or significance

3

of clothes : fitting very close to the body : very tight

skinny jeans

4

: made with skim milk

a skinny latte

skinniness noun

skinny

2 of 2

noun

slang

: inside information : dope

the straight skinny on what's going on

—John Geary

Synonyms

Adjective

• fine
• hairline
• narrow
• needlelike
• paper-thin
• slender
• slim
• slim-jim
• thin
• ultrathin

Noun

• 411 [slang]
• book
• dope
• inside
• lowdown
• poop [slang]
• scoop
• tip

Choose the Right Synonym for skinny

lean, spare, lank, lanky, gaunt, rawboned, scrawny, skinny mean thin because of an absence of excess flesh.

lean stresses lack of fat and of curving contours.

a lean racehorse

spare suggests leanness from abstemious living or constant exercise.

the gymnast's spare figure

lank implies tallness as well as leanness.

the lank legs of the heron

lanky suggests awkwardness and loose-jointedness as well as thinness.

a lanky youth, all arms and legs

gaunt implies marked thinness or emaciation as from overwork or suffering.

a prisoner's gaunt face

rawboned suggests a large ungainly build without implying undernourishment.

a rawboned farmer

scrawny and skinny imply an extreme leanness that suggests deficient strength and vitality.

a scrawny chicken

skinny street urchins

Examples of skinny in a Sentence

Adjective

the tree swing was supported only by a couple of skinny branches

her grandmother was always insisting that she was too skinny and never tired of trying to force more food on her

Noun

a TV show that offers all the skinny on Tinseltown and the stars that light it up

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Dream Pairs Knee-High Boots Tall boots are a versatile style staple that works with everything from floaty mini dresses to skinny jeans, as evidenced by this Jennifer Garner look. —Jamie Allison Sanders, People.com, 20 Nov. 2024

Though skinny jeans may have stepped back for roomier styles, stretch denim still holds a special place in the hearts of fashion lovers for its unmatched comfort and versatility. —Sj Studio, Sourcing Journal, 19 Nov. 2024

Noun

The constant diet and exercise failures were frustrating, especially as a brown girl who was told that skinny is beautiful. —Syeda Saad, refinery29.com, 25 Sep. 2024

The Slim-Fit Don’t worry, these are not your average skinnies. —Kristina Rutkowski, Vogue, 24 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

perhaps from skin entry 1 + -y entry 4

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1541, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1938, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing skinny

• skinny-dip
• the inside/straight/real skinny
• the skinny
• What's the skinny on

Kids Definition

skinny

adjective

skin·​ny

ˈskin-ē

skinnier; skinniest

1

: resembling skin : membranous

a skinny layer

2

: very thin

skinniness noun