Synonyms of skimpy

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

• sparse
• scarce
• poor
• meager
• scanty
• scant
• lacking
• slender
• lowest
• stingy
• inadequate
• insufficient
• small
• light
• exiguous
• short
• slim
• skimp
• spare
• minimal
• sparing
• mere
• thin on the ground
• thin
• hand-to-mouth
• deficient
• least
• bare-bones
• wanting
• slightest
• bare
• sterile
• slight
• littlest
• unproductive
• barren
• unfruitful
• infertile

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• adequate
• ample
• generous
• sufficient
• abundant
• plentiful
• copious
• liberal
• enough
• satisfactory
• bountiful
• rich
• tolerable
• fat
• fertile
• prolific
• lavish
• fruitful
• plenteous
• extra
• excess
• luxuriant
• bursting
• fecund
• surplus
• thriving
• flourishing
• proliferative
• blooming
• teeming
• swarming

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

Recent Examples of skimpy

For years, would-be first-time homebuyers have complained about the skimpy inventory of starter homes, saying costly McMansion-style subdivisions are all that’s being built now. —Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 30 Mar. 2026

In the early seasons, many of the female contestants are thin, pretty, and often wearing skimpy bikinis—but their faces are bare with scant lashes, faint eyebrows, and foreheads that crinkle naturally with their facial expressions. —Erika W. Smith, Allure, 26 Feb. 2026

Attending the 2026 Film Independent Spirit Awards at Hollywood Palladium on February 15, the actress and model donned a skimpy black dress. —Meg Walters, InStyle, 16 Feb. 2026

But his answers to our questions were skimpy. —The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026