skinny

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈskɪni/ UK /ˈskɪni/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
very thin or lean; also, inside information (slang)

The model was tall and remarkably skinny.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · very thin or lean; also,... thin lean slender scrawny gaunt spare bony

Opposites

fat plump stout chubby

Word family

Derived forms skinniness

Related forms skinskinless

Appears in

Proverbs (1)

See all

Never trust a skinny chef

Etymology

From skin (from Old Norse skinn 'hide', of Germanic origin) plus the adjectival suffix -y; the slang sense 'inside information' is 19th–20th century American.

skinn Old Norse

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives Register & Style

External links

# skinny

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈskɪni/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈskɪni/

## Meanings
1. very thin or lean; also, inside information (slang)

## Examples
- The model was tall and remarkably skinny.

## Synonyms
- thin
- lean
- slender
- scrawny
- gaunt
- spare
- bony

## Antonyms
- fat
- plump
- stout
- chubby

## Derived Forms
- skinniness

## Related Forms
- skin
- skinless

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: skinn

## Etymology
From skin (from Old Norse skinn 'hide', of Germanic origin) plus the adjectival suffix -y; the slang sense 'inside information' is 19th–20th century American.

## AI Etymology
Skinny comes from skin (from Old Norse skinn 'hide', of Germanic origin) plus the adjectival suffix -y; the slang sense 'inside information' is 19th–20th century American. The suffix is part of the word's derivational shape, marking the final grammatical or semantic role while the base supplies the central meaning. As an adjective and noun, it carries the sense "very thin or lean; also, inside information (slang)", with the older formation still helping explain the modern use. Relevant historical forms include Old Norse skinn. Derivative forms include skinniness; related words include skin, skinless.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives
- Register & Style

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