meagre
Britishadjective
-
deficient in amount, quality, or extent
-
thin or emaciated
-
lacking in richness or strength
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of meagre
C14: from Old French maigre, from Latin macer lean, poor
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.
Friends of the Earth Scotland's Catrina Randall said the "meagre" reduction figures were a "missed opportunity" to improve the lives of Scots.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
The catch is meagre -- small fish, lots of plastic bottles and too many used nappies.
From Barron's • May 20, 2026
"Most migrant workers with meagre earnings can't afford to pay so much," says Rajesh Kumar.
From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026
"In macroeconomic terms it's excellent. But we still have inflation, inequality, and meagre salaries," Daya says.
From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026
Even the most generously funded rendition of Beethoven’s ninth would require a meagre third of those forces.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
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.
