meager
AmericanSynonym Usage
See scanty.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of meager
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English megre, from Old French maigre, from Latin macer “lean”
Explanation
Meager means small and often applies to portions. Your mother may only allow you a meager serving of chocolate cake, and you may need to eat a meager serving of veggies in order to deserve that dessert. Meager doesn't mean adequate — it means not enough. People with a limited supply of food may try to subsist on meager portions. People who make a meager amount of money probably have a hard time making rent. Meager and emaciated both derive from the Old French maigre. If you can remember that you will look emaciated if your diet is meager, you’ll use the word correctly.
Vocabulary lists containing meager
List 1
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Tuck Everlasting
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"Of Mice and Men"
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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.
Venezuelans have not hidden their anger at the slow and meager aid coming from the authorities after the twin earthquakes that killed at least 1,450 and left tens of thousands more missing.
From Barron's ● Jun. 28, 2026
Sales at bars and restaurants rose a meager 2.7% in the past 12 months, down almost two-thirds from a year ago.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 17, 2026
Sosa said his job is to find ways to feed the most vulnerable people in the city, including doctors and professionals now living on meager pensions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026
Her father secures a farm job on land nearby, and as Robin’s family settles into the meager accommodation provided for laborers, Robin sneaks off to probe the secrets of the great house.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026
Their meager clothes, imposed on them by foreigners, clung to their thin chests and legs like a second skin finally ready to accept the shape of their bodies.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
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.
