Synonyms of skimpy

skimpy

adjective

ˈskim-pē 

as in sparse

less plentiful than what is normal, necessary, or desirable

the information in the user's manual for the microwave is skimpy and not particularly helpful

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sparse
• scarce
• poor
• meager
• scanty
• meagre
• scant
• lacking
• slender
• small
• lowest
• stingy
• inadequate
• insufficient
• light
• short
• exiguous
• slim
• skimp
• spare
• sparing
• minimal
• mere
• thin on the ground
• thin
• deficient
• hand-to-mouth
• niggardly
• least
• bare-bones
• wanting
• slightest
• bare
• sterile
• littlest
• slight
• unproductive
• barren
• unfruitful
• infertile

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• adequate
• ample
• generous
• sufficient
• abundant
• plentiful
• copious
• liberal
• enough
• satisfactory
• bountiful
• rich
• tolerable
• fat
• fertile
• prolific
• lavish
• fruitful
• plenteous
• extra
• excess
• luxuriant
• bursting
• fecund
• surplus
• thriving
• flourishing
• proliferative
• blooming
• teeming
• swarming

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

Recent Examples of skimpy

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

While comic book writers and artists often complain about skimpy payments or lack of ample credit for the work that inspires movies, they generally are given a special thanks in the credits of those films. —Simon Abrams, HollywoodReporter, 25 Apr. 2025

Jones didn’t dress in skimpy tights or run around with a codename. —Nola Pfau, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2025