Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective skimpy differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of skimpy are meager, scanty, scant, spare, and sparse. While all these words mean "falling short of what is normal, necessary, or desirable," skimpy usually suggests niggardliness or penury as the cause of the deficiency.

tacky housing developments on skimpy lots

In what contexts can meager take the place of skimpy?

The words meager and skimpy are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, meager implies the absence of elements, qualities, or numbers necessary to a thing's richness, substance, or potency.

a meager portion of meat

When can scant be used instead of skimpy?

The words scant and skimpy can be used in similar contexts, but scant suggests a falling short of what is desired or desirable rather than of what is essential.

in January the daylight hours are scant

When might scanty be a better fit than skimpy?

The meanings of scanty and skimpy largely overlap; however, scanty stresses insufficiency in amount, quantity, or extent.

supplies too scanty to last the winter

When would spare be a good substitute for skimpy?

While in some cases nearly identical to skimpy, spare may suggest a slight falling short of adequacy or merely an absence of superfluity.

a spare, concise style of writing

When could sparse be used to replace skimpy?

While the synonyms sparse and skimpy are close in meaning, sparse implies a thin scattering of units.

a sparse population

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of skimpy The 62-year-old survived a three-minute knife fight sequence on a submarine wearing only skimpy boxer briefs. Matt Donnelly, Variety, 14 May 2025 The weather is getting warmer, which means clothes are getting tighter, skimpier, and in some cases optional. José Criales-Unzueta, Vogue, 12 May 2025 But instead of deputies in skimpy running gear flashing the offending tattoos, a different problem plaguing the largest sheriff’s department in the nation became apparent. Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2025 Tucked away in one corner of the show are reminders of the oppressive beauty standards pushed by fashion magazines and corporations as soon as swimwear got skimpier. Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for skimpy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skimpy
Adjective
  • This is an area of space where gas in the interstellar medium is relatively sparse, with an overall low density.
    Keith Cooper, Space.com, 16 June 2025
  • Seek out tacit knowledge that is not documented anywhere or is sparse but will be key in driving successful autonomous decisions. 4.
    Lucas Persona, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
Adjective
  • High-Potential, Untapped Markets I’m inspired by what others ignore—those quiet gaps where attention is scarce but potential is high, like a niche market with growing demand but little innovation.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
  • Evidence for the exact state of health of prehistoric humans is scarce.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Skimpy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skimpy. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on skimpy

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