ENGLISH
REFERENCE

skinned

adj.
US //ˈskɪnd// UK //skˈɪnd// skinned
  1. 1 having a certain skin type (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    having a specific kind of skin, usually used with another word like 'dark' or 'fair'.

    having skin of a specified nature; almost exclusively used in hyphenated compounds.

    Example

    The fair-skinned boy needed to wear plenty of sunscreen at the beach.

    Example

    The study focused on how thin-skinned fruits react to sudden changes in humidity during the transport process.

    Usage

    Usually appears as the second part of a hyphenated compound adjective.
    • complexioned
  2. 2 with skin removed (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    having the outer layer of skin or peel taken off.

    having the skin or outer integument removed, often through injury or preparation.

    Example

    He looked at his skinned knee after falling off his bicycle.

    Example

    The recipe requires two pounds of skinned tomatoes, which should be seeded and finely diced before being added to the sauce.
  3. 3 having no money (adj.)
    C1 Advanced British English Slang

    having no money left; being completely broke.

    destitute or entirely lacking in financial resources.

    Example

    I can't go to the cinema tonight because I'm absolutely skinned.

    Example

    After paying his rent and the unexpected car repair bill, he found himself completely skinned until the next payday.

    Teacher's tip

    This is a very informal British term; 'skint' is more common in modern speech, but 'skinned' is still heard in certain dialects.
Etymology 1

From skin (noun) + -ed (“having”).

Etymology 2

From skin (“to remove skin”, verb) + -ed (suffix forming past tenses).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Last updated June 20, 2026