skinny
Americanadjective
-
very lean or thin; emaciated.
a skinny little kitten.
-
of or like skin.
-
unusually low or reduced; meager; minimal.
skinny profits.
-
(of an object) narrow or slender.
skinny noodles.
-
(of garments, especially pants) narrow and very tight-fitting.
skinny jeans; a skinny tank top.
noun
adjective
-
lacking in flesh; thin
-
consisting of or resembling skin
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of skinny
First recorded in 1565–75; skin + -y 1; skinny def. 6 is unclearly derived and perhaps a distinct word
Explanation
Someone who's skinny is thin. Your brother might be skinny enough to fit in the jeans he wore three years ago. A skinny person is slight or lean, and your skinny jeans are tight-fitting. You might order a skinny coffee drink at a cafe, meaning you'd like it to be made with skim milk. If someone offers to give you "the skinny" on something, they're revealing some secret information. This last, informal meaning stems from military slang during World War II, probably from the idea of "naked," or undisguised, truth.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Jeans remain the core of Levi’s business, and skinny, slim, bootcut and straight fits still make up the bulk of its bottoms segment.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 9, 2026
Many apartment buildings have a flimsy first floor, propped up by skinny supports to accommodate carports, garages or storefronts.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 25, 2026
“Extreme diets: How Lindsay and Nicole got so skinny — but have they gone too far?” the honorable Us Weekly wondered.
From Salon • Jun. 22, 2026
Modric, Croatia's most successful ever footballer, has since regrown those locks and that small, skinny frame has carried him to six Champions League titles with Real Madrid and a Ballon d'Or.
From BBC • Jun. 17, 2026
“He looks as skinny as a rail,” Regina said upon beholding her famous son, and she almost burst into tears.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
