Meagerness — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun /ˈmē-gər/ mea·ger

Meaning & Definition of Meagerness

Meagerness (adjective)

  1. having little flesh, thin
  2. lacking desirable qualities (such as richness or strength)
  3. deficient in quality or quantity

Meagerness (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in inadequateness, failure

    similar: deficiency, deficit, failure, famine, inadequacy, inadequateness, insufficiency, paucity, poverty, scantiness, scantness, scarceness, scarcity, shortage, skimpiness, undersupply, absence, dearth, lack, want, deprivation, loss, necessity, need, needfulness, omission, privation, blankness, emptiness, vacuity, vacuum, void
    opposite: presence, abundance, amplitude, bounty, plenitude, plenteousness, plentifulness, plentitude, plenty, wealth, adequacy, sufficiency, excess, overabundance, oversupply, superabundance, surfeit, surplus, deluge, flood, bushel, deal, gobs, heap, loads, lot, mass, mountain, much, oodles, peck, pile, pot, quantity, raft, reams, scads, stack, volume, wad, fund, pool, stock, supply, cache, hoard, stash, stockpile

Related Entry: Meager (adjective)

Meager is a different word from Meagerness. The synonyms below are for meager, not for meagerness.

  1. 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"

    similar: exiguous, hand-to-mouth, light, poor, scant, scanty, scarce, skimp, skimpy, slender, slim, spare, sparing, sparse, stingy, thin on the ground
    related: deficient, inadequate, insufficient, lacking, short, wanting, bare, bare-bones, least, littlest, lowest, mere, minimal, slightest, slight, small, thin, barren, infertile, sterile, unfruitful, unproductive
    opposite: abundant, ample, bountiful, copious, generous, liberal, plenteous, plentiful
    near: adequate, enough, satisfactory, sufficient, tolerable, fat, fecund, fertile, fruitful, prolific, rich, lavish, luxuriant, blooming, bursting, flourishing, proliferative, swarming, teeming, thriving, excess, extra, surplus

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Meagerness

The most common words with a similar meaning to Meagerness:

deficiency, deficit, failure, famine, inadequacy, inadequateness, insufficiency, paucity, poverty, scantiness, scantness, scarceness, scarcity, shortage, skimpiness, undersupply, absence, dearth, lack, want, deprivation, loss, necessity, need, needfulness, omission, privation, blankness, emptiness, vacuity, vacuum, void

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Meagerness

Words with the opposite meaning of Meagerness:

presence, abundance, amplitude, bounty, plenitude, plenteousness, plentifulness, plentitude, plenty, wealth, adequacy, sufficiency, excess, overabundance, oversupply, superabundance, surfeit, surplus, deluge, flood, bushel, deal, gobs, heap, loads, lot, mass, mountain, much, oodles

Word Forms of Meagerness

Derived words: meagerly (adverb), meagerness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Meagerness

Middle English megre "thin, having little flesh from lack of food," borrowed from Anglo-French megre, maigre, going back to Latin macr-, macer "thin, lean, of little substance," going back to Indo-European *mh2ḱ-ro- "long, thin," whence also Germanic *magra- "lean" (whence Old English mæger "lean," Old High German magar, Old Norse magr), Greek makrós "long, tall, high, large"; derivative in *-ro-, adjective suffix, of a base *meh2ḱ-, *mh2ḱ- seen also in Latin maciēs "bodily thinness, wasting," Greek mêkos "length," mḗkistos "longest, highest," Avestan masah- "length, greatness," masišta- "highest," Hittite maklant- "thin, slim (of animals)"

First known use: 14th century

Frequently Asked Questions about Meagerness

What does "Meagerness" mean?

"Meagerness" means having little flesh, thin. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: having little flesh, thin.

What is another word for "Meagerness"?

Other words for "Meagerness" include deficiency, deficit, failure, famine, inadequacy, inadequateness, insufficiency and paucity. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Meagerness" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Meagerness"?

There are 32 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Meagerness". Common alternatives include deficiency, deficit, failure, famine, inadequacy, inadequateness, insufficiency, paucity, poverty and scantiness.

What is the opposite of "Meagerness"?

Antonyms of "Meagerness" include presence, abundance, amplitude, bounty, plenitude, plenteousness, plentifulness and plentitude.

Is "Meagerness" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Meagerness" can be used as an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Meagerness"?

"Meagerness" is pronounced /ˈmē-gər/ and divided into syllables as mea·ger.

What is the origin of the word "Meagerness"?

"Meagerness" comes from Middle English megre "thin, having little flesh from lack of food," borrowed from Anglo-French megre, maigre, going back to Latin macr-, macer "thin, lean, of little substance," going back to Indo-European *mh2ḱ-ro- "long, thin," whence also Germanic *magra- "lean" (whence Old English mæger "lean," Old High German magar, Old Norse magr), Greek makrós "long, tall, high, large"; derivative in *-ro-, adjective suffix, of a base *meh2ḱ-, *mh2ḱ- seen also in Latin maciēs "bodily thinness, wasting," Greek mêkos "length," mḗkistos "longest, highest," Avestan masah- "length, greatness," masišta- "highest," Hittite maklant- "thin, slim (of animals)". First known use: 14th century.

What is another word for "Meagerness" meaning "as in inadequateness, failure"?

When "Meagerness" (noun) means as in inadequateness, failure, synonyms include deficiency, deficit, failure, famine, inadequacy and inadequateness. Opposites in this sense include presence, abundance, amplitude and bounty.