skimpy

[skim-pee]

See more synonyms for skimpy on Thesaurus.com

adjective, skimp·i·er, skimp·i·est.

lacking in size, fullness, etc.; scanty: a skimpy hem; a skimpy dinner.
too thrifty; stingy: a skimpy housekeeper.

Origin of skimpy

First recorded in 1835–45; skimp + -y¹

Related formsskimp·i·ly, adverbskimp·i·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for skimpy

Contemporary Examples

During her 2011 tour of Canada, a skimpy yellow frock flew skywards on a Calgary airfield.
Kate Middleton's History of Flesh-Flashing Wardrobe Malfunctions
Tom Sykes
May 29, 2014
His minimalist performance was so haunting—and his Oscar track record so skimpy—that I figured he was a lock.
Did the Academy Snub Robert Redford Because He’s So Damn Handsome?
Andrew Romano
January 17, 2014
Skimpy bralets and short-shorts take the cake in Britney Spears's new music video for her new anthem.
Britney Spears's 10 Looks in "Work Bitch"
Amy Zimmerman
October 2, 2013
Spears works a series of fabulous, skimpy looks in her video.
Britney Spears's 10 Looks in "Work Bitch"
Amy Zimmerman
October 2, 2013
They lean against the fence, hips jutted out, their legs exposed by scanty pink shorts and skimpy dresses.
Haiti’s Horrendous Teenage Prostitution Problem
Lisa Armstrong
June 17, 2011

Historical Examples

Why had she not prevailed over her mother's fear of being "skimpy?"
Alice Adams
Booth Tarkington
Not that it wasn't simple enough, but it sure was skimpy above the belt.
Torchy and Vee
Sewell Ford
It is skimpy in the extreme, but at any rate it is something.
The Glow-Worm and Other Beetles
Jean Henri Fabre
The flesh all these skimpy ones had lost, solid people had put on.
The Freelands
John Galsworthy
What with the skimpy skirt and the high heels she could scarcely walk.
Ruth Fielding Down East
Alice B. Emerson

British Dictionary definitions for skimpy

skimpy

adjective skimpier or skimpiest

(of clothes, etc) made of too little material; scanty
excessively thrifty; mean; stingy

Derived Formsskimpily, adverbskimpiness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for skimpy

adj.

1842, from skimp (adj.) "scanty" (1775), which perhaps ultimately is from an early 18c. alteration of scrimp or a variant of scamp (v.). Related: Skimpiness.

skimpy

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}skimpy

Examples from the Web for skimpy

Contemporary Examples

During her 2011 tour of Canada, a skimpy yellow frock flew skywards on a Calgary airfield.

His minimalist performance was so haunting—and his Oscar track record so skimpy—that I figured he was a lock.

Skimpy bralets and short-shorts take the cake in Britney Spears's new music video for her new anthem.

Spears works a series of fabulous, skimpy looks in her video.

They lean against the fence, hips jutted out, their legs exposed by scanty pink shorts and skimpy dresses.

Historical Examples

Why had she not prevailed over her mother's fear of being "skimpy?"

Not that it wasn't simple enough, but it sure was skimpy above the belt.

It is skimpy in the extreme, but at any rate it is something.

The flesh all these skimpy ones had lost, solid people had put on.

What with the skimpy skirt and the high heels she could scarcely walk.

skimpy

Word Origin and History for skimpy

adj.

Origin of skimpy