meager

[ mee-ger ]

adjective

1. deficient in quantity or quality; lacking fullness or richness; scanty; inadequate:

   a meager salary; meager fare; a meager harvest.

2. having little flesh; lean; thin:

   a body meager with hunger.

   Synonyms: skinny, spare, gaunt

3. maigre.

Other Words From

• meager·ly adverb
• meager·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of meager¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English megre, from Old French maigre, from Latin macer “lean”

Synonym Study

See scanty.

Example Sentences

After two drives, Maiava was a meager two for seven with a crushing pick-six — concerning enough to hush a Coliseum crowd that hoped he might be the answer to what ailed USC’s offense.

From Los Angeles Times

That effort started on the defensive end, just as Musselman promised it would, as the Trojans shut down Chattanooga on the perimeter, holding the Mocs to a meager 28% shooting from the field.

From Los Angeles Times

Those might seem like meager numbers for a player widely expected to be selected in the NFL draft this spring until you consider the ripple effect.

From Los Angeles Times

Responses to a second question on the survey showed meager optimism that the funds generated by Measure A would be effective.

From Los Angeles Times

The meager progress, though hailed by some lawmakers and advocates, in a state as liberal as California could serve as a warning on the issue to the rest of the nation.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• insufficient
• mere
• minimum
• miserable
• paltry
• puny
• scant
• scanty
• skimpy
• sparse
• tenuous