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meagre

British

/ ˈmiːɡə /

adjective

deficient in amount, quality, or extent
thin or emaciated
lacking in richness or strength

"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

Other Word Forms

meagrely adverb
meagreness noun

Etymology

Origin of meagre

C14: from Old French maigre, from Latin macer lean, poor

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.

Arsenal are on track to win the Premier League, with only Manchester City putting up a meagre attempt to stay in the race.

From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026

The Ifo Institute said this week a drawn-out conflict would put a brake on the recovery, reducing growth this year down from one percent to a meagre 0.6 percent.

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

While Wolves are not mathematically down yet, they are propping up the table on a meagre eight points from 25 matches and sports analytics and data experts Opta rank their chances of relegation as 99.99%.

From BBC • Feb. 7, 2026

He came into this game with only five goals from 22 appearances this season, a meagre return compared to the riches he has delivered in a magnificent Liverpool career.

From BBC • Jan. 28, 2026

I drew out my purse; a meagre thing it was.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023