meager

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "meager" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe something that is small in amount or size. For example, "The meager wages he was earning were barely enough to cover his basic needs."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Unlike DARPA, JIEDDO has a host of Capitol Hill critics who consider its success at stopping IEDs meager compared to the $22bn Congress has provided it over its lifespan.

The Guardian

If there is a God, and it loves every child – the poor child, the Muslim child, the child without a church – its ways never have been more mysterious, to some, than meager state education budgets signed by well-heeled Christian governors.

The Guardian

In the show's seventh year of dominance, host Ryan Seacrest negotiated a 300% pay raise, going from a meager $5m annually to a more liveable $15m, guaranteed for three years.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

The American economy came to a near halt in the first quarter, growing at a meager pace of 0.6%, its weakest rate of growth in more than four years.

The Economist

Though an anthem of the perceived excesses of the time, the bonuses then forked out to financiers were relatively meager: $32,000 on average.

The Economist

National politics has become something even less than "the art of the possible"—with Washington reduced to practicising little more than the statecraft of artifice.Unbalanced budgets are accepted as inevitable; meager reductions in projected spending increases are brandished as cuts.

The Economist

The cuts Barack Obama has pushed (outside of sequestration) are meager, despite what you may hear from Republicans.

The Economist

Exports were down by 22% in January compared with a year earlier, and the Central Bank expects meager growth in 2015.Popular frustration with Russia came to a head in January, after a Russian soldier murdered six members of an Armenian family in the city of Gyumri.

The Economist

After over a decade of stagnation in face of the meager choice between just two models of the cosmos, Hubble's observations spurred theorists on to the construction of a melange of new models, each vying in competition with the other.

SEP

or Matheron (1969, 1990), construct a genetic story on the basis of Spinozistic psychology, the account that Spinoza himself offers is quite meager.

SEP

The Epicurean Colotes, for instance, Plutarch's target in the Against Colotes, was critical of Plato's dialogues in his Against Plato's Lysis and Against Plato's Euthydemus (meager fragments of which are preserved in Herculaneum papyri PHerc. 208, PHerc.

SEP

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "meager" to describe quantities, resources, or efforts that are disappointingly small or insufficient. For example, "Despite their meager resources, they achieved remarkable results."

Common error

While "meager" is generally acceptable, overuse in highly formal or business writing might sound less professional. Consider alternatives like "limited" or "insufficient" in those settings to maintain a more polished tone.

Linguistic Context

The adjective "meager" functions primarily to describe nouns, indicating a deficiency in quantity, quality, or extent. As demonstrated in Ludwig's examples, it is used to characterize resources, efforts, or conditions as being less than satisfactory. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and usability in English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

35%

Formal & Business

15%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Wiki

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "meager" is an adjective used to describe something deficient in quantity, quality, or extent. Ludwig AI confirms that the term is correct and readily usable in English writing. With a neutral to formal register, it's commonly found in scientific and news contexts, denoting inadequacy or insufficiency. While generally acceptable, carefully consider your audience and context. Alternatives such as "scanty", "paltry", and "insufficient" may be more suitable depending on the specific nuance you wish to convey. Remember to avoid overuse in highly formal settings for a more polished tone.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

scanty

This term emphasizes the inadequacy or insufficiency of something.

paltry

This word suggests something is so small or worthless as to be almost insulting.

inadequate

This term indicates something is not sufficient for a particular requirement.

deficient

This implies a lack of something essential or necessary.

insufficient

This suggests that something isn't enough to meet a need or demand.

limited

This term indicates that the quantity or extent of something is restricted.

sparse

This describes something that is thinly scattered or distributed.

scant

This emphasizes the smallness of an amount or quantity.

minimal

This suggests that something is the least possible or necessary.

reduced

This word implies that something has been made smaller or less.

FAQs

How can I use "meager" in a sentence?

You can use "meager" to describe something that is deficient in quantity or quality. For example, "The refugees survived on a "meager" diet of rice and beans".

What are some synonyms for "meager"?

Synonyms for "meager" include "scanty", "paltry", "inadequate", and "deficient". The best choice depends on the specific context.

Is it appropriate to use "meager" in formal writing?

While "meager" is generally acceptable, it may be perceived as less formal than alternatives like "limited" or "insufficient" in certain business or academic contexts. Consider your audience and the overall tone you want to convey.

What's the difference between "meager" and "scarce"?

"Meager" suggests a poor or insufficient amount, while "scarce" indicates that something is rare or difficult to obtain. For instance, resources can be both "scarce" and "meager", but scarcity emphasizes availability, while meagerness emphasizes quality or sufficiency.