skinny

adjective

skin·ny | \ ˈski-nē

skinnier; skinniest

Definition of skinny

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : resembling skin : membranous

2a : 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

skinny

noun

Definition of skinny (Entry 2 of 2)

slang

: inside information : dope the straight skinny on what's going on— John Geary

Other Words from skinny Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about skinny

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Synonyms & Antonyms for skinny

Synonyms: Adjective

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

Synonyms: Noun

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

Antonyms: Adjective

broad, fat, wide

Choose the Right Synonym for skinny

Adjective

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

These dendritic spines look like mushrooms with rounded heads and skinny, tiny necks. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Scientists Mapped Entire Brains at Nanoscale For This Psychadelic Visualization," 18 Jan. 2019 Last week, Vogue’s Christian Allaire wondered whether or not men’s skinny jeans were over after Offset sported a pair of loose knit pants belted with a rope. — Brooke Bobb, Vogue, "Could You Love a Man in the Baggy Pants that Took Over the Runways this Season?," 22 Jan. 2019 The duchess dressed down for the outdoorsy engagement, sporting skinny jeans and See by Chloé combat boots while making pizza with youngsters outdoors. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Kate Middleton Wears a Green Belted Midi Dress to Visit Family Action Charity," 22 Jan. 2019 Middleton opted for a casual look this morning at a community garden in Islington, wearing a Dubarry Bracken tweed jacket paired with skinny jeans, which are reportedly from Zara, and combat boots. — Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "Kate Middleton Steps Out in a Casual Look this Morning to Visit a Community Garden," 15 Jan. 2019 What's more fall than an oversize turtleneck, skinny jeans, and over-the-knee suede boots? — Avery Matera, Glamour, "17 Ways to Wear Thigh-High Boots This Winter," 11 Jan. 2019 Thankfully, all your favorite celebs have officially nixed skinny jeans from their wardrobe, swapping for loose-fitting blues with major style. — Kelsey Stiegman, Seventeen, "10 Instagram-Worthy Ways to Wear Boyfriend Jeans," 8 Jan. 2019 Some skinny jeans — the kind that are rolled up at the ankles. — Erik Lacitis, The Seattle Times, "‘Bucolic’ Whidbey Island surprised at skinhead headlines — and recent Lynnwood assault," 31 Dec. 2018 Kate usually favors skinny jeans or svelte black pants to pair with her crisp blazers and simple tops. — Katherine J. Igoe, Marie Claire, "Kate Middleton Wore Meghan Markle-Esque Wide-Leg Pants to an Air Force Base," 5 Dec. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

When: July 6-8 Where: Near West Side How much: $10-$169 The skinny: Enjoy reggae, gospel, R&B, blues, jazz and rock music and browse some 200 vendors. — Hannah Steinkopf-frank, RedEye Chicago, "Chicago festivals this week: Taste of Chicago, Millennium Art Festival, Live on Lincoln," 3 July 2018 So, forget about the screen measurement—you've probably never held a smartphone this skinny. — Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, "Palm Phone Review: Fun, endearing, and bad at everything," 1 Dec. 2018 The skinny: Held on the summer solstice, Make Music Chicago happens across the city. — Hannah Steinkopf-frank, RedEye Chicago, "Chicago festivals this week: Make Music Chicago, Logan Square Arts Festival, Pride Parade," 20 June 2018 Click or tap here to get the skinny on Prime Day, and yes, most prices are better than on Black Friday. — Fox News, "Amazon Prime Day secrets, best car tech, cool travel apps and more: Tech Q&A," 16 July 2018 The model braved the California heat in high-waisted acid wash skinny jeans, a matching denim jacket, and a white tee, and completed the look with white sneakers, gold hoop earrings, and her massive engagement ring. — Andrea Park, Teen Vogue, "Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin Wore Matching Hairstyles While Out in Beverly Hills," 27 Aug. 2018 Here, a look back on the actress’s six most powerful takes on body positivity—and why skinny shouldn't mean beautiful in Hollywood or beyond. — Mackenzie Wagoner, Vogue, "6 Times Jennifer Lawrence Clapped Back at the Pressure to Be Thin in Hollywood," 15 Aug. 2018 Marlena Stall from Makeup Geek explains this in detail, but the skinny is that oxides are used to add SPF or sometimes coverage to foundations. — Dafra Sanou, Allure, "How to Find Your Perfect Foundation Shade Match When You Have Dark Skin," 18 July 2018 At its most basic level, mid-century modern designs are known for juxtaposing sleek lines (think: skinny, peg legs on dressers and tables) with organic shapes, using new materials and methods to reimagine traditional pieces. — Hillary Brown, House Beautiful, "Everything You Need To Know About Mid-Century Modern Design," 13 Sep. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'skinny.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.