lean years

USAGE SUMMARY

"lean years" is a perfectly acceptable phrase that can be used in written English.
It is typically used to refer to a period of time characterized by financial hardship or a lack of resources. For example, you might say, "The company has been struggling during these lean years."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Result: seven lean years.

The New York Times - Sports

"I remember the lean years," he said.

The New York Times - Sports

Yet Electric Lady also had its lean years.

The New York Times - Arts

There followed nearly sixty lean years.

The New Yorker

In lean years, Philo suites do not exist.

Columbia University

For the Pentagon, lean years may lie ahead.

The Economist

Let's just hope our lean years will only number seven.

The New York Times

"The coming lean years promise to be very dire indeed".

The New Yorker

In America, Singer put in his seven lean years first.

The New Yorker

During these lean years Hrawi assiduously nurtured ties with Syria.

The Guardian

Budgets are cut in lean years and fattened during booms.

The New York Times - Books

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "lean years" to evoke a narrative of resilience. It is particularly effective when contrasting a period of struggle with a subsequent 'boom' or 'golden era'.

Common error

Do not use "lean years" to describe a brief dip in performance or a single bad quarter. The phrase implies a sustained, multi-year struggle that tests long-term endurance.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "lean years" acts as a compound noun or an adjective-noun pairing. In the sentences provided by Ludwig, it typically functions as the object of a preposition (e.g., 'during those lean years') or the subject of a sentence describing a historical period. Ludwig AI confirms its status as a highly stable idiomatic expression.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

82%

Formal & Business

12%

Academia

4%

Less common in

Science

1%

Wiki

0.5%

Social Media

0.5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "lean years" is a resilient and evocative idiom used to describe periods of financial or resource scarcity. According to Ludwig, it is exceptionally common in high-authority media like "The New York Times" and "The Economist", where it bridges the gap between literal economic description and storytelling. Its biblical roots give it a weight that simple terms like 'bad years' lack, making it ideal for describing sustained periods of hardship in sports, business, and personal history. Whether you are documenting a historical struggle or a corporate recovery, "lean years" is a grammatically perfect choice for professional English.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Thin years

Uses a more literal adjective to describe the period but lacks the specific idiomatic weight of lean

Hard times

A more general and common idiom for difficulty that isn't strictly limited to a duration of years

Economic downturn

Provides a technical and clinical description suitable for financial reporting

Period of scarcity

More formal and descriptive, focusing on the lack of resources rather than the experience

Meager times

Emphasizes the poor quality or insufficient quantity of resources available

Seven lean years

Specific biblical allusion implying a defined, finite period of suffering followed by recovery

Austerity period

Implies a deliberate reduction in spending, often by a government or organization

Dry spell

Often used metaphorically for a lack of success or productivity

Famine years

A much more literal and severe term describing actual starvation and agricultural failure

Economic slump

Focuses on the lack of momentum and growth rather than just the lack of resources

FAQs

How to use lean years in a sentence?

In professional writing, you might say, "The company successfully pivoted its strategy after several "lean years" in the early 2000s."

What can I say instead of lean years?

You can use alternatives like "thin years", "hard times", or "meager times" depending on the context.

Is lean years a biblical reference?

Yes, the phrase originates from the biblical story of Joseph in Egypt, who predicted seven years of abundance followed by seven "lean years" of famine.

What is the difference between lean years and a recession?

While a "recession" is a technical economic term defined by specific growth metrics, "lean years" is a more descriptive, idiomatic term for any period of scarcity or struggle.