meager

especially British, mea·gre

[mee-ger]

adjective

1. deficient in quantity or quality; lacking fullness or richness; scanty; inadequate.

   a meager salary; meager fare; a meager harvest.

2. having little flesh; lean; thin.

   a body meager with hunger.

   Synonyms: skinny, spare, gaunt

3. maigre.

Other Word Forms

• meagerly adverb
• meagerness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of meager¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English megre, from Old French maigre, from Latin macer “lean”

Synonym Study

See scanty.

Example Sentences

National college football writers and other pundits tweeted about the athletic department’s massive deficit, meager NIL resources and failed leadership.

From Los Angeles Times

In Louisville, back when I was a public radio reporter spending my meager Derby winnings, a now-shuttered burrito joint near the track served something that was essentially nacho fries: queso, grilled meat, pico, sour cream.

From Salon

A meager snowpack in the Rocky Mountains last winter added to the strains on the river.

From Los Angeles Times

On the field his contributions were more meager, with Campos allowing 51 goals in 43 games over two seasons.

From Los Angeles Times

The accusations are so meager that whether the firing will stand is an open question.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• insufficient 
• mere 
• minimum 
• miserable 
• paltry 
• puny 
• scant 
• scanty 
• skimpy 
• sparse 
• tenuous