meager

adjective

ˈmē-gər How to pronounce meager (audio)
variants or meagre
Definition of meagernext
as in sparse
less plentiful than what is normal, necessary, or desirable ever since he started the diet, his dinners have been more meager than he would like

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective meager differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of meager are scanty, scant, skimpy, spare, and sparse. While all these words mean "falling short of what is normal, necessary, or desirable," meager implies the absence of elements, qualities, or numbers necessary to a thing's richness, substance, or potency.

a meager portion of meat

When is scant a more appropriate choice than meager?

The synonyms scant and meager are sometimes interchangeable, 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 would scanty be a good substitute for meager?

The words scanty and meager can be used in similar contexts, but scanty stresses insufficiency in amount, quantity, or extent.

supplies too scanty to last the winter

When can skimpy be used instead of meager?

While in some cases nearly identical to meager, skimpy usually suggests niggardliness or penury as the cause of the deficiency.

tacky housing developments on skimpy lots

When might spare be a better fit than meager?

The meanings of spare and meager largely overlap; however, spare may suggest a slight falling short of adequacy or merely an absence of superfluity.

a spare, concise style of writing

In what contexts can sparse take the place of meager?

The words sparse and meager are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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 meager The colleges have managed, despite the meager funds, to preserve Indigenous languages, conduct high-level research and train local residents in nursing, meat processing and other professions and trades. —Matt Krupnick, ProPublica, 3 June 2025 Before those big gains the Dolphins’ rushing production was meager. —Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 16 May 2025 At those still open, chaotic scenes of desperate men, women and children fighting to get meager rations are common. —Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2025 Florida had a modest 15 shots on goal through two periods but Carolina had a meager seven. —Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 23 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for meager
Recent Examples of Synonyms for meager
  1. sparse
  2. scarce
  3. poor
Adjective
  • The risk was getting waived and wallowing in the G League with sparse crowds, commercial travel between remote locales and a dog-eat-dog team culture for as little as $40,500.
    — Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 May 2025
  • Soto, meanwhile, received a smattering of boos from a sparse crowd, particularly after a seventh-inning groundout.
    — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 28 May 2025
Definition of sparse
Adjective
  • In a job market where interviews are scarce and searches can stretch for months, Marino-Briggs was struck by how often candidates arrived unprepared.
    — Julia Korn, Forbes.com, 26 May 2025
  • In a year where momentum is scarce, NASCAR’s 600-mile test provides a chance to put some distance between the good and the great.
    — Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 23 May 2025
Definition of scarce
Adjective
  • Massive clouds of pollutants could collide in North Carolina this week and result in poor air quality conditions for millions.
    — Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 5 June 2025
  • This lack of preparation yields poor communication that worsens difficult situations and burns bridges between companies and fired employees.
    — Nicole Tidei, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
Definition of poor

Browse Nearby Words

meads
meager
meagerly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Meager.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/meager. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on meager

Nglish: Translation of meager for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Using Bullet Points ( • )

'Bring' vs. 'Take'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language

10 Hella Good U.S. Regionalisms

Some Data About 'Datum'

The Clinical History of 'Moron,' 'Idiot,' and 'Imbecile'
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All