measly miserable paltry
(gcide) | Meager \Mea"ger\, Meagre \Mea"gre\, a. [OE. merge, F. maigre, L.
macer; akin to D. & G. mager, Icel. magr, and prob. to Gr.
makro`s long. Cf. Emaciate, Maigre.]
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1. Destitue of, or having little, flesh; lean.
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Meager were his looks;
Sharp misery had worn him to the bones. --Shak.
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2. Destitute of richness, fertility, strength, or the like;
defective in quantity, or poor in quality; poor; barren;
scanty in ideas; wanting strength of diction or affluence
of imagery; as, meager resources; meager fare. Opposite of
ample. [WordNet sense 1] [Narrower terms: exiguous]
[Narrower terms: hardscrabble, marginal] [Narrower
terms: measly, miserable, paltry] "Meager soil."
--Dryden.
Syn: meagre, meagerly, scanty.
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Of secular habits and meager religious belief.
--I. Taylor.
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His education had been but meager. --Motley.
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3. (Min.) Dry and harsh to the touch, as chalk.
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4. less than a desirable amount; -- of items distributed from
a larger supply. [WordNet sense 2]
Syn: scrimpy, skimpy, skimping.
[WordNet 1.5]
Syn: Thin; lean; lank; gaunt; starved; hungry; poor;
emaciated; scanty; barren.
[1913 Webster] Meager |