skinny
Americanadjective
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very lean or thin; emaciated.
a skinny little kitten.
-
of or like skin.
-
unusually low or reduced; meager; minimal.
skinny profits.
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(of an object) narrow or slender.
skinny noodles.
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(of garments, especially pants) narrow and very tight-fitting.
skinny jeans; a skinny tank top.
noun
adjective
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lacking in flesh; thin
-
consisting of or resembling skin
Other Word Forms
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.
Analyst Ben Crozier points to 4Q data from Telcowatch that Spark lost an estimated 20 basis points of market share across its main Spark and Skinny brands, taking its estimated connection share to 38.1%.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026
June 19, 2024A earlier version of this story incorrectly said the Skinny Confidential was an OutKick podcast.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 19, 2024
In a 1926 strip, we meet Skinny Slats, an ironically corpulent lad who squeezes out of an inkwell.
From New York Times • Jun. 4, 2024
An advert posted by Katie Price on Instagram, which promoted a low calorie diet for The Skinny Food Co, has been banned by the advertising watchdog.
From BBC • Apr. 2, 2024
There was this kid at church named Skinny who picked on me.
From "Booked" by Kwame Alexander
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.
