SKIMPY Synonyms: 70 Similar and Opposite Words

skimpy

adjective

ˈskim-pē

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 New York Times Hooters is embracing skimpy uniforms again. —

Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2025 Jeanine Simpkins of Mesa, Arizona, learned how skimpy the networks can be when a 40-year-old family member was in crisis this fall. —

Tony Leys, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2025 The women wear stunning fashion numbers, Sebastian’s wife Dineo Price slinking down a staircase in a cleavage revealing skimpy number in its opening minutes. —

John Hopewell, Variety, 13 Oct. 2025 Flashbulbs went into overdrive as Charli XCX took her seat next to Hailey Bieber, Zoë Kravitz and Rosé of K-pop group Blackpink, dressed in a skimpy négligée. —

Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for skimpy

Recent Examples of Synonyms for skimpy

Adjective

Even though the snow in the Rockies is sparse, Colorado ski-makers are still gearing up to sell the latest and greatest.

— Max Scheinblum, Denver Post, 9 Jan. 2026
In a landscape where authenticity has become increasingly sparse, the rapper is proof that sometimes the best way to engage an audience is by simply being yourself.

— Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 8 Jan. 2026