skimpy

[ skim-pee ]

/ ˈskɪm pi /

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.

Nearby words

skimmia, skimming, skimmings, skimobile, skimp, skimpy, skin, skin alive, skin and bones, skin care, skin deep

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. 2019

Examples from the Web for skimpy

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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
Spears works a series of fabulous, skimpy looks in her video.
Britney Spears's 10 Looks in "Work Bitch"|Amy Zimmerman|October 2, 2013|DAILY BEAST

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|DAILY BEAST
She wears a flapping cap, skimpy skirts and rusty brown mittens on her bony hands.
The Girl of the Period and Other Social Essays, Vol. I (of 2)|Eliza Lynn Linton
Without comment, the man sorted a ten-dollar bill from a skimpy roll he took from his pocket and handed it to Les.
Ten From Infinity|Paul W. Fairman
His skimpy blue blouse disclosed the roundness of his shoulders and accentuated the abnormal length of his arms.
Servants of the Guns|Jeffery E. Jeffery
Dried-up, skimpy bushes just higher than our heads made a thin but regular cover.
The Land of Footprints|Stewart Edward White
They carried their few remaining belongings in two skimpy, amateurish-looking swags.
On the Track|Henry Lawson

British Dictionary definitions for skimpy

skimpy

/ (ˈskɪmpɪ) /

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

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

adjective, skimp·i·er, skimp·i·est.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of skimpy

Examples from the Web for skimpy

British Dictionary definitions for skimpy

skimpy

adjective skimpier or skimpiest

Word Origin and History for skimpy

skimpy