What does skimpy mean?
Skimpy describes an amount, portion, description, or covering that falls noticeably short of what is adequate or expected. Its most common use concerns food and quantities: a skimpy meal provides too little food, while skimpy evidence or information is limited and therefore inconclusive. The word can also suggest stinginess, as when someone is skimpy with praise, money, or time, although the emphasis is usually on the inadequate result rather than the person's character. In clothing, skimpy means conspicuously brief, close-fitting, or revealing, and it may be used critically or, depending on context, admiringly. Overall, skimpy combines the idea of insufficiency with an implication that the shortfall is poor, meagre, or undeserving. It is especially useful when the shortage itself matters: something can be available yet skimpy, and therefore inadequate for the purpose. In formal writing, words such as meager, scanty, or insufficient often provide a more neutral register.
adjectiveInsufficient in quantity, size, or extent; meager or stingy. When describing clothing, it can mean too brief, small, or revealing.
- Insufficient in quantity, size, or extent; meager.
- Stingy or unwilling to provide a generous amount.
- Of clothing: too brief, small, or revealing.
"The restaurant served a skimpy portion of pasta with barely any sauce."
"The evidence linking diet and health is still fairly skimpy."
"She wore a skimpy silver dress that drew every eye in the room."
A skimpy portion can leave you hungry twice over: too little on the plate and too strong an impression of poor hospitality.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does skimpy come from?
The adjective was formed in English during the eighteenth century by adding the suffix -y to skim. Its development drew on the idea of taking or using only a surface layer, which helped establish its sense of something thin, limited, or insufficient. Modern usage extends the word beyond literal surfaces to portions, descriptions, evidence, and clothing.
Related word forms
How skimpy is actually used
Skimpy is common in everyday speech and informal writing, where it often carries a mildly critical or disparaging tone. Formal writing may prefer meager, scanty, or insufficient. Its clothing sense can be complimentary or critical depending on context and speaker intent.
Easily confused with skimpy
Skimpy describes something meager or insufficient, whereas to skimp means to economize stingily or make do with less.
To skim something is to read it quickly or remove material from its surface; skimpy describes something lacking in quantity or adequacy.