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

• sparse
• scarce

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

Jeanine Simpkins of Mesa, Arizona, learned how skimpy the networks can be when a 40-year-old family member was in crisis this fall. —Tony Leys, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2025

The women wear stunning fashion numbers, Sebastian’s wife Dineo Price slinking down a staircase in a cleavage revealing skimpy number in its opening minutes. —John Hopewell, Variety, 13 Oct. 2025

Flashbulbs went into overdrive as Charli XCX took her seat next to Hailey Bieber, Zoë Kravitz and Rosé of K-pop group Blackpink, dressed in a skimpy négligée. —Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2025

There are of course those families who lean hard into the horror movie vibes for decorations, and the college students drinking cheap beer in skimpy costumes. —Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 24 Sep. 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