meagre

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "meagre" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe a small amount or size of something. Example sentence: His meagre salary made it difficult for him to pay for life's necessities.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Economists reckon Britain probably posted meagre growth in the last quarter, following the 0.3% contraction in Q4 2011.

The Guardian - Business

These meagre reductions are too little too late and must be increased to help hard-pressed consumers struggling with their energy bills this winter".

The Guardian - Money

I accede, puffing through your ground floor in the inevitably vain hope of a small tip to supplement my meagre, below-London-living-wage salary.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

It indulges his love of figuring things out, plus it identifies him as a detail-oriented aesthete compared to the likes of David Cameron, forever rubbing his greasy thumbs across his screen as he hamfistedly attempts to beat his own meagre Fruit Ninja highscore.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

Doctors across Europe are warning that the soaring use of antidepressants is down to growing pressure to "medicalise" unhappiness, complaining that a lack of time and meagre availability of other therapies meant that physicians reach for the prescription pad far too often.

The Guardian

True, he does not exactly have scoring opportunities lavished upon him in Chris Hughton's austere set-up, but he makes sloppy use of his meagre rations.

The Guardian - Sport

Frequently the loan remains unpaid back from meagre earnings and people are repeatedly resold.

The Guardian

The targeted nature of our welfare system is clear when you look at the breakdown of assistance by household income quintile: The "fat" in middle class welfare was so meagre that Hockey had to target unemployed youth.

The Guardian - Business

In 1987, the Conservative campaign was rocked by a poll, published on a Thursday, that showed the Tory lead over Labour down to a meagre four points.

The Guardian - Opinion

It takes someone who already has a big fat contract, someone who is already vastly over-rewarded, for what we can see is, at best, a meagre talent.

The Guardian - Sport

Film London, the strategic support agency for cinema and media in the capital, saw its funding from the London Development Agency cut earlier this year by 22% from a meagre £1.66m to a scrawny £1.3m.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "meagre" to describe amounts, resources, or qualities that are noticeably deficient or insufficient. It often carries a slightly negative connotation, implying that the lack is regrettable or problematic.

Common error

Avoid using "meagre" in contexts where a neutral or positive description of small size is intended. Alternatives like "small", "slight", or "minimal" may be more appropriate if you do not want to imply a negative evaluation.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "meagre" is as an adjective, modifying nouns to describe their insufficient or deficient quality. As shown in the examples by Ludwig, "meagre" commonly precedes nouns like "growth", "rations", "earnings", etc., to indicate a lack of abundance or quality.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

38%

Formal & Business

31%

Science

15%

Less common in

Academia

4%

Encyclopedias

4%

Reference

4%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "meagre" functions as an adjective to denote something deficient in quantity or quality, often carrying a negative connotation. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and frequent usage across various contexts, particularly in news and business publications. While alternatives like "scant" or "paltry" exist, "meagre" is best used when emphasizing the inadequacy or insufficiency of something. Be mindful of its slightly negative tone and avoid using it in purely neutral descriptions of small size. The word's presence in authoritative sources like The Guardian and The Economist underscores its credibility and relevance in formal and professional communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

scant

Emphasizes the insufficiency of something, especially in terms of quantity or amount.

paltry

Highlights the insignificance or triviality of something, often with a negative connotation.

inadequate

Focuses on the insufficiency of something to meet a specific need or requirement.

deficient

Indicates a lack of something essential or necessary.

insufficient

Similar to inadequate, stressing the lack of enough of something.

limited

Suggests a restriction in the amount or extent of something.

scarce

Implies that something is rare or difficult to find.

skimpy

Describes something that is small or insufficient, often in a way that seems deliberately stingy.

sparse

Indicates that something is thinly distributed or scattered.

slight

Suggests a small degree or amount of something.

FAQs

How can I use "meagre" in a sentence?

You can use "meagre" to describe something that is deficient in quantity or quality, for example: "The company offered a "meagre salary"" or "The soil was too "meagre to support crops"".

What words can I use instead of "meagre"?

Alternatives to "meagre" include "scant", "paltry", "inadequate", or "insufficient". The best choice depends on the specific context and the nuance you want to convey.

Is it correct to say "meagre amount" or "small amount"?

Both are grammatically correct, but "meagre amount" implies that the smallness is undesirable or insufficient, while "small amount" is more neutral.

What is the difference between "meagre" and "scarce"?

"Meagre" emphasizes deficiency in size, quality, or amount, suggesting something is thin or inadequate. "Scarce" indicates a limited availability or rarity. You can say something like "scarce resources".