Word
meager
Phoneticsmea·ger, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈmiɡɝ/
UK/mˈiːɡɐ/
UK spelling · meagre
Definitions
01small in amount
C1 · Advanced American English
adj. very small in amount and usually not enough to satisfy a need.
adj. deficient in quantity or number; inadequate to meet a requirement.
“The family struggled to survive on a meager income of just a few dollars a day.”
“The refugees were forced to subsist on meager rations of rice and clean water while they waited for the aid trucks to arrive.”
Synonyms
02poor in quality
C1 · Advanced American English
adj. lacking richness, strength, or important qualities.
adj. deficient in substance, richness, or fertility; lacking in quality or value.
“The soil in this area is too meager to grow any healthy vegetables.”
“The prosecution's case was based on meager evidence, leading many legal experts to predict an early acquittal for the defendant.”
Antonyms
03thin or lean
C2 · Proficiency American English · Literary
adj. having very little fat or flesh on the body.
adj. lacking flesh or bulk; thin or emaciated in physical appearance.
Español:magro
“The meager stray dog wandered the streets looking for scraps of food.”
“His meager frame was a testament to the months of hardship he had endured during the long winter trek.”
Real-World Examples
“It is also an area frequented by students, many of whom are known to gamble in an attempt to stretch their meagre resources.” “However, it should be remembered that this set of financial data relates to Everton’s final season playing home matches at Walton Hall Park, their meagre former home.” Etymology
From Middle English megre, from Anglo-Norman megre, Old French maigre, from Latin macer, from Proto-Indo-European *mh₂ḱrós. Akin, through the Indo-European root, to Old English mæġer (“meager, lean”), West Frisian meager (“meager”), Dutch mager (“meager”), German mager, Icelandic magr whence the Icelandic magur, Norwegian Bokmål mager and Danish mager. Doublet of maigre.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/meager
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0