Skinny — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun /ˈski-nē/ skin·ny

Meaning & Definition of Skinny

Skinny (adjective)

  1. resembling skin, membranous
  2. lacking sufficient flesh, very thin, emaciated
  3. lacking usual or desirable bulk, quantity, qualities, or significance

Skinny (noun)

  1. inside information, dope

Skinny (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. being of less than usual width

    "the tree swing was supported only by a couple of skinny branches"

    similar: fine, hairline, narrow, needlelike, paper-thin, slender, slim, slim-jim, thin, ultrathin
    related: attenuate, attenuated, elongate, linear, bottleneck, close, compressed, condensed, constricted, contracted, squeezed, tight, tightened, lanky, rangy, reedy, shoestring, spindly, stalky, stringy, twiggy, willowy, wispy, lank, spare
    opposite: broad, fat, wide
    near: chunky, squat, stocky, stumpy, thick, thickset, bulky, massive, voluminous, thickish, widish

  2. having a noticeably small amount of body fat

    "her grandmother was always insisting that she was too skinny and never tired of trying to force more food on her"

    similar: bony, fatless, lean, lithe, slender, slim, spare, svelte, thin
    related: clean-limbed, trim, sylphlike, willowy, angular, rawboned, scraggy, scrawny, sinewy, wiry, lank, lanky, rangy, reedy, spindling, spindly, stringy, twiggy, waspish, weedy, anorectic, anorexic, cadaverous, emaciated, gaunt, haggard, pinched, skeletal, wasted, wizened, meager, puny, slight
    opposite: chubby, corpulent, fat, gross, obese, overweight, plump, portly, rotund, tubby
    near: beefy, bulky, chunky, fleshy, heavy, heavyset, stocky, stout, thick, thickset, weighty, brawny, burly, husky, dumpy, pudgy, roly-poly, squat, stubby, paunchy, potbellied, flabby, soft, buxom, zaftig, full, hippy, round

Skinny (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. information not generally available to the public

    "a TV show that offers all the skinny on Tinseltown and the stars that light it up"

    similar: 411 (slang), book, dope, inside, lowdown, poop (slang), scoop, tip
    related: dirt, dish, gossip, rumor, story, hint, pointer, information, intelligence, news, tidings, word
    near: ancient history, open secret

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Skinny

The most common words with a similar meaning to Skinny:

Slang: 411, poop
fine, hairline, narrow, needlelike, paper-thin, slender, slim, slim-jim, thin, ultrathin, bony, fatless, lean, lithe, spare, svelte, book, dope, inside, lowdown, scoop, tip

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Skinny

Words with the opposite meaning of Skinny:

broad, fat, wide, chubby, corpulent, gross, obese, overweight, plump, portly, rotund, tubby

Related Words for Skinny

attenuate, attenuated, elongate, linear, bottleneck, close, compressed, condensed, constricted, contracted, squeezed, tight, tightened, lanky, rangy, reedy, shoestring, spindly, stalky, stringy, twiggy, willowy, wispy, lank, clean-limbed, trim, sylphlike, angular, rawboned, scraggy

Near Antonyms of Skinny

chunky, squat, stocky, stumpy, thick, thickset, bulky, massive, voluminous, thickish, widish, beefy, fleshy, heavy, heavyset, stout, weighty, brawny, burly, husky, dumpy, pudgy, roly-poly, stubby, paunchy, potbellied, flabby, soft, buxom, zaftig

Word Forms of Skinny

Inflections: skinnier, skinniest

Derived words: skinniness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Skinny

perhaps from skin:1 + -y:4

First known use: circa 1541

Words & Phrases Containing Skinny

skinny-dip, the skinny

Frequently Asked Questions about Skinny

What does "Skinny" mean?

"Skinny" means resembling skin, membranous. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: resembling skin, membranous. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Skinny"?

Other words for "Skinny" include fine, hairline, narrow, needlelike, paper-thin, slender, slim and slim-jim. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Skinny" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Skinny"?

There are 85 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Skinny". Common alternatives include fine, hairline, narrow, needlelike, paper-thin, slender, slim, slim-jim, thin and ultrathin.

What is the opposite of "Skinny"?

Antonyms of "Skinny" include broad, fat, wide, chubby, corpulent, gross, obese and overweight. Near antonyms include chunky, squat, stocky and stumpy.

How do you use "Skinny" in a sentence?

Examples of "Skinny" in a sentence: "the tree swing was supported only by a couple of skinny branches"; "her grandmother was always insisting that she was too skinny and never tired of trying to force more food on her"; "a TV show that offers all the skinny on Tinseltown and the stars that light it up".

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

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

How do you pronounce "Skinny"?

"Skinny" is pronounced /ˈski-nē/ and divided into syllables as skin·ny.

What is the origin of the word "Skinny"?

"Skinny" comes from perhaps from skin:1 + -y:4. First known use: circa 1541.