SKIMPY Synonyms: 70 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'skimpy' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of skimpy are meager , scanty , scant , spare , and sparse . While all these words mean "falling short of what is normal, necessary, or desirable," skimpy usually suggests niggardliness or penury as the cause of the deficiency. // tacky housing developments on skimpy lots

Q: In what contexts can 'meager' take the place of 'skimpy'?

The words meager and skimpy are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, meager implies the absence of elements, qualities, or numbers necessary to a thing's richness, substance, or potency. // a meager portion of meat

Q: When can 'scant' be used instead of 'skimpy'?

The words scant and skimpy can be used in similar contexts, but scant suggests a falling short of what is desired or desirable rather than of what is essential. // in January the daylight hours are scant

Q: When might 'scanty' be a better fit than 'skimpy'?

The meanings of scanty and skimpy largely overlap; however, scanty stresses insufficiency in amount, quantity, or extent. // supplies too scanty to last the winter

Q: When would 'spare' be a good substitute for 'skimpy'?

While in some cases nearly identical to skimpy , spare may suggest a slight falling short of adequacy or merely an absence of superfluity. // a spare , concise style of writing

Q: When could 'sparse' be used to replace 'skimpy'?

While the synonyms sparse and skimpy are close in meaning, sparse implies a thin scattering of units. // a sparse population

skimpy

adjective

ˈskim-pē

Definition of skimpy next

as in sparse

less plentiful than what is normal, necessary, or desirable the information in the user's manual for the microwave is skimpy and not particularly helpful

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective skimpy differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of skimpy are meager, scanty, scant, spare, and sparse. While all these words mean "falling short of what is normal, necessary, or desirable," skimpy usually suggests niggardliness or penury as the cause of the deficiency.

tacky housing developments on skimpy lots

In what contexts can meager take the place of skimpy?

The words meager and skimpy are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, meager implies the absence of elements, qualities, or numbers necessary to a thing's richness, substance, or potency.

a meager portion of meat

When can scant be used instead of skimpy?

The words scant and skimpy can be used in similar contexts, but scant suggests a falling short of what is desired or desirable rather than of what is essential.

in January the daylight hours are scant

When might scanty be a better fit than skimpy?

The meanings of scanty and skimpy largely overlap; however, scanty stresses insufficiency in amount, quantity, or extent.

supplies too scanty to last the winter

When would spare be a good substitute for skimpy?

While in some cases nearly identical to skimpy, spare may suggest a slight falling short of adequacy or merely an absence of superfluity.

a spare, concise style of writing

When could sparse be used to replace skimpy?

While the synonyms sparse and skimpy are close in meaning, sparse implies a thin scattering of units.

a sparse population

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of skimpy On Wednesday, the 60-year-old actress showed off her svelte physique in a skimpy orange two-piece from her Elizabeth Hurley Beach brand. —

Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 1 June 2026 Think lots of skimpy bikinis with fringes, sequins and shimmer. —

Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 29 May 2026 In my experience, hotel towels are often on the skimpy side unless staying at high-end resorts or hotels. —

Kevin Brouillard, Travel + Leisure, 28 May 2026 In his new book on Capra, Sam Wasson describes the director’s defiance of Columbia Pictures’ skimpy ad budgets as well as his willingness to challenge the rule that filmmakers abstain from the sales hustle. —

Peter Bart, Deadline, 22 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for skimpy

Recent Examples of Synonyms for skimpy

Adjective

Already, reports of sparse crowds have marred the Freedom 250’s Great American State Fair on the National Mall, the Daily Beast said.

— Martha Ross, Mercury News, 2 July 2026
In North Platte, Nebraska, vegetation is much sparser with drier soils.

— Trey Fulbright, CBS News, 1 July 2026

Definition of sparse

Adjective

Rats are burrowing into aid parcels, forcing people to throw away scarce rice or flour supplies.

— Sana Noor Haq, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
Managing scarcity through digital modeling While deuterium is highly abundant and easily extracted from standard seawater, tritium is exceedingly scarce in nature.

— Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 5 July 2026

Definition of scarce

Browse Nearby Words

skimps (on)

skimpy

skims

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Skimpy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skimpy. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of skimpy

adjective

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on skimpy

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

perfunctory

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes