skinny
Americanadjective
-
very lean or thin; emaciated.
a skinny little kitten.
-
of or like skin.
-
unusually low or reduced; meager; minimal.
skinny profits.
-
(of an object) narrow or slender.
skinny noodles.
-
(of garments, especially pants) narrow and very tight-fitting.
skinny jeans; a skinny tank top.
noun
adjective
-
lacking in flesh; thin
-
consisting of or resembling skin
Other Word Forms
- skinniness noun
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.
BBC journalists were able to order so-called skinny jabs to Northern Ireland from Voy and MedExpress using false data and out-of-date images, with no further verification required.
From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026
Iowa farmer Lance Lillibridge told AFP that cattle producers have been "living off very skinny margins" for years.
From Barron's • Feb. 15, 2026
The "skinny fat" profile showed a different pattern.
From Science Daily • Jan. 28, 2026
I was a skinny Brazilian guy who didn’t speak Spanish at all.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 11, 2025
He had always been skinny, but overnight the color had gone from his face, and his eyes were huge, like Patch’s.
From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff
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.
