Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

skinny

American  
[skin-ee] / ˈskɪn i /

adjective

skinnier, skinniest

  1. very lean or thin; emaciated.

    a skinny little kitten.
    Synonyms:
    scrawny, gaunt, lank

  2. of or like skin.

  3. unusually low or reduced; meager; minimal.

    skinny profits.

  4. (of an object) narrow or slender.

    skinny noodles.

  5. (of garments, especially pants) narrow and very tight-fitting.

    skinny jeans; a skinny tank top.

noun

  1. Slang.

    1. accurate information; data; facts.

    2. news, especially if confidential; gossip.

      Here's the skinny on the latest Hollywood scandal.
skinny British  
/ ˈskɪnɪ /

adjective

  1. lacking in flesh; thin

  2. consisting of or resembling skin

"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

  • 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

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.