Meager
Deficient in quantity or quality; not enough; lacking in fullness or richness.
adjectiveMeager
Deficient in quantity or quality; not enough; lacking in fullness or richness.
adjectiveImagine 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.
Sounds Like
MEG-er
Looks Like
Meagre (British spelling)
Remember This
Meager is the American spelling; meagre is the British variant. Both mean lacking in quantity or quality.
Other Forms
Connect With
scant, sparse, scanty, insufficient, inadequate
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.
Study Deeper
- 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.
From Old French maigre 'lean, thin', from Latin macer 'lean'. The modern spelling meager comes from this lineage; meagre is the British variant.
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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Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
Inadequate
adjectiveLacking the necessary quality, quantity, or ability to meet a purpose; not sufficient or suitable.
Abstruse
adjectiveDifficult to understand; obscure or highly complex.
Accidental
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Acerbic
adjectiveSharp or biting in tone or taste; caustic or mordant in manner.
Acquiescent
adjectiveReady to agree or approve without protest; compliant.
Adamant
adjectiveRigid in opinion or purpose; not willing to change one's mind or position.