meagre
Britishadjective
-
deficient in amount, quality, or extent
-
thin or emaciated
-
lacking in richness or strength
Other Word Forms
- meagrely adverb
- meagreness noun
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.
Arsenal are on track to win the Premier League, with only Manchester City putting up a meagre attempt to stay in the race.
From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026
"In macroeconomic terms it's excellent. But we still have inflation, inequality, and meagre salaries," Daya says.
From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026
The Ifo Institute said this week a drawn-out conflict would put a brake on the recovery, reducing growth this year down from one percent to a meagre 0.6 percent.
From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026
With GDP growth forecast at a meagre one per cent this year, the captains of Germany Inc have harshly attacked the leader of Germany's pro-business party.
From Barron's • Feb. 20, 2026
Two fat tallow candles gave a meagre, flickering light.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
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.
