skinny
Americanadjective
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very lean or thin; emaciated.
a skinny little kitten.
-
of or like skin.
-
unusually low or reduced; meager; minimal.
skinny profits.
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(of an object) narrow or slender.
skinny noodles.
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(of garments, especially pants) narrow and very tight-fitting.
skinny jeans; a skinny tank top.
noun
adjective
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lacking in flesh; thin
-
consisting of or resembling skin
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of skinny
First recorded in 1565–75; skin + -y 1; skinny def. 6 is unclearly derived and perhaps a distinct word
Explanation
Someone who's skinny is thin. Your brother might be skinny enough to fit in the jeans he wore three years ago. A skinny person is slight or lean, and your skinny jeans are tight-fitting. You might order a skinny coffee drink at a cafe, meaning you'd like it to be made with skim milk. If someone offers to give you "the skinny" on something, they're revealing some secret information. This last, informal meaning stems from military slang during World War II, probably from the idea of "naked," or undisguised, truth.
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.
Skinny cans of the fruit-flavored, carbonated Beyond Immerse are now for sale by a “test kitchen” announced by the company last fall to offer new products in limited quantities.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026
Mr Shah took samples and a report concluded that the Skinny Prosecco sample and its description on the company website breached food and drink regulations.
From BBC • Sep. 27, 2024
June 19, 2024A earlier version of this story incorrectly said the Skinny Confidential was an OutKick podcast.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 19, 2024
In a 1926 strip, we meet Skinny Slats, an ironically corpulent lad who squeezes out of an inkwell.
From New York Times • Jun. 4, 2024
Skinny and stinking and starving and all the time next to a cute boy who I like so much, it hurts.
From "The Skin I'm In" by Sharon G. Flake
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.
