variants
or meagre
1
: having little flesh : thin
meager were his looks, sharp misery had worn him to the bones—
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare2
a
: lacking desirable qualities (such as richness or strength)
leading a meager life
b
: deficient in quality or quantity
a meager diet
meagerly
adverb
meagerness
noun
Examples of meager in a Sentence
Every morning he eats a meager breakfast of toast and coffee.
We'll have to do the best we can with this year's meager harvest.
She came to this country with a fairly meager English vocabulary, but she is learning more words every day.
They suffered through several meager years at the beginning of their marriage.
Although she's now rich and famous, she remembers her meager beginnings as a child from a poor family.
Recent Examples on the Web
When on the other hand his co-pilot has fallen short, as was the case last season (and in fairness, likely due at least in part to injury), with a line of 20.6 points, 5.6 assists and 4.3 boards on a meager 47.4% TS%, the Nuggets have fallen short, in that case leading to a second-round exit.
—Joel Rush, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025
Once again, opponents shot worse when facing The Wall—a meager 32.9% from beyond the arc.
—Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Those cuts have been felt in the meager US response to the Myanmar quake, according to experts, exposing a void in international relief measures for major catastrophes.
—Rebecca Wright, CNN Money, 10 Apr. 2025
Brooker puts the carnivorous culture of reality TV on trial in this diabolical hour, set in a world where lower-caste citizens pedal stationary bikes to power their surroundings and earn meager currency.
—Charles Bramesco, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for meager
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Joel Rush, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025
Once again, opponents shot worse when facing The Wall—a meager 32.9% from beyond the arc.
—Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Those cuts have been felt in the meager US response to the Myanmar quake, according to experts, exposing a void in international relief measures for major catastrophes.
—Rebecca Wright, CNN Money, 10 Apr. 2025
Brooker puts the carnivorous culture of reality TV on trial in this diabolical hour, set in a world where lower-caste citizens pedal stationary bikes to power their surroundings and earn meager currency.
—Charles Bramesco, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for meager
Cite this Entry
“Meager.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meager. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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