meager
Say it: MEE-guh /ˈmiɡɚ/ · adjective
What “meager” means
Disappointingly small or not good enough.
More precisely: Lacking in quantity or quality; disappointingly small.
Example: “After a meager lunch of crackers, he was starving by three o'clock.”
When to use it
For amounts that feel disappointingly small, such as wages or portions. Usually critical; the British spelling is “meagre”.
Similar words
paltry, sparse, scanty
Where it comes from
From Old French maigre, "thin."
Quick check
After a full day's work, you receive just enough pay for a bus ride home. Your earnings are…
modest or meager?
Show the answer
meager
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