exiguous
adjective
Did you know?
Exiguous is so expansive sounding that you might expect it to mean "extensive" instead of "meager." Even a scanty glimpse at the word's etymology will disabuse you of that notion, however. Exiguous derives from the Latin exiguus, which has the same basic meaning as the modern English term. Exiguus, in turn, derives from the Latin verb exigere, which is variously translated as "to demand," "to drive out," or "to weigh or measure." The idea of weighing or measuring so precisely as to be parsimonious or petty gave exiguous its present sense of inadequacy. Just so we aren't accused of being skimpy with the details, we should also mention that exigere is the parent term underlying other English words including exact and exigent.
Examples of exiguous in a Sentence
Michael Arinze, Chicago Tribune, 28 Mar. 2023
The holiday sales came as a jolt after China’s exiguous ticket sales of recent weeks.
—Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Oct. 2022
Their taste is undeveloped or chronically exiguous.
—Brian T. Allen, National Review, 2 Apr. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Exiguous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exiguous. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
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