What does "skinny" mean?
The details or facts; especially, those obtained by gossip or rumor.
Skinny
/ˈskɪni/ adj, noun, verb, slang
adj, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The details or facts; especially, those obtained by gossip or rumor.
- Grammar: skinny is listed as adj, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: angular, anorexic, beanpole, boney.
- Useful contrasts: broad, fat, wide.
- Usage evidence: That man is skinny, but his wife is fat.
How to use "skinny"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "skinny" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "skinny" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "skinny" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "skinny" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "skinny" is acting as adj, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "angular" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "skinny", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The details or facts; especially, those obtained by gossip or rumor. colloquial
"She called to get the skinny on the latest goings-on in the club."
- 2 confidential information about a topic or person wordnet
- 3 A state of nakedness; nudity.
"Again, she appears nude whilst dipping in the skinny, but this time, instead of being eaten by a shark or a bear, she encounters a Japanese submarine"
- 4 A low-fat serving of coffee. informal
- 5 A skinny being. nonstandard
""Either a skinny had judged (correctly) that it was worth one of their buildings to try for one of us, or one of my own mates was getting mighty careless with fireworks" .."A congregation in church — a skinny flophouse — maybe even their defense headquarters. All I knew was that it was a very big room filled with more skinnies than I wanted to see in my whole life.""
Show 1 more definition
- 6 An obstacle for a horse to jump over, consisting of a narrow fence.
Verb
- 1 To reduce or cut down. informal, transitive
"Like an accordion at a country wedding producing sweet-and-sour notes, some importers are expanding their U.S. retail automotive operations while others are skinnying down."
Adjective
- 1 Thin, generally in a negative sense (as opposed to slim, which is thin in a positive sense). informal
"Her recent weight loss has made her look rather skinny than slender"
- 2 Of food or a beverage, having reduced fat or calories. informal
"skinny flat white"
- 3 Naked; nude (chiefly used in the phrase skinny dipping).
"Let's take our clothes oft" and go swimming skinny."
- 4 Tight-fitting.
"skinny jeans"
- 5 Synonym of thin (“type of shot where the ball is struck by the bottom part of the club head”).
Adjective
- 1 being very thin wordnet
- 2 giving or spending with reluctance wordnet
- 3 fitting snugly wordnet
- 4 of or relating to or resembling skin wordnet
Example
"That man is skinny, but his wife is fat."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "skinny"?
Common synonyms include: angular, anorexic, beanpole, boney, bony, bony.
How do you use "skinny" in a sentence?
That man is skinny, but his wife is fat.
How do you pronounce "skinny"?
Pronounced /ˈskɪni/.
Etymology
From Middle English skinny (“resembling skin”), equivalent to skin + -y. The meaning associated with lack of fat or muscle possibly derives from the phrase skin and bones; the meaning associated with nudity refers to the exposed skin.