Meager

Deficient in quantity or quality; not enough; lacking in fullness or richness.

adjective

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Imagine This

If I were very thin and weak, I would be eager to gain some weight. A budget to live on one dollar a day is very scanty.

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Sounds Like

MEG-er

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Looks Like

Meagre (British spelling)

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Remember This

Meager is the American spelling; meagre is the British variant. Both mean lacking in quantity or quality.

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Other Forms

Meagernessnoun

Meagerlyadverb

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Connect With

scant, sparse, scanty, insufficient, inadequate

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Note

Often used to describe insufficient amounts or poor quality. Also notes the distinction between quantity and quality: a meal can be meager in portion or a budget can be meager in funds.

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Study Deeper

Examples

The meal consisted of a meager portion of rice and a small vegetable.
Even with a high cost of living, her meager wages barely covered rent.

Synonyms

deficientscantsparseinadequatepaltry

Antonyms

plentifulabundantample

Etymology

From Old French maigre 'lean, thin', from Latin macer 'lean'. The modern spelling meager comes from this lineage; meagre is the British variant.

Mnemonic

Mnemonic: Imagine a meal that is so small it makes you say meager — a meager meal reminds you of its meaning.

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Bequeath

verb

To leave personal property to someone in a will; to pass on property or wealth through a testament.

Capacious

adjective

Able to hold a large amount; spacious.

Paucity

noun

A smallness in number or amount; scarcity.

Similar Words

Related words and words with the same part of speech.

Inadequate

adjective

Lacking the necessary quality, quantity, or ability to meet a purpose; not sufficient or suitable.

Abstruse

adjective

Difficult to understand; obscure or highly complex.

Accidental

adjective

Happening by chance or without deliberate planning; not intended. In music, it is also a noun for a symbol that temporarily alters a pitch.

Acerbic

adjective

Sharp or biting in tone or taste; caustic or mordant in manner.

Acquiescent

adjective

Ready to agree or approve without protest; compliant.

Adamant

adjective

Rigid in opinion or purpose; not willing to change one's mind or position.

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