meager

IPA/ˈmiː.ɡər/
KK[mˈiɡɚ]IPA/ˈmiː.ɡɚ/

meager — 形容詞

  • meagerpositive
  • meagerercomparative
  • meagerestsuperlative

1. much smaller or less than what is needed or thought reasonable, often in a disap

1.形容詞B2
釋義

微薄；貧乏

數量很少或不夠的

much smaller or less than what is needed or thought reasonable, often in a disappointing way — for example, a meager paycheck that barely covers rent, or a meager meal of just bread and water.

例句

The refugee camp received only a meager supply of drinking water each week.

難民營每週只能獲得微薄的飲用水供應。

meager + supply / resources

Dario's meager savings were not enough to cover the hospital bill.

Dario 微薄的積蓄不夠支付醫院帳單。

同義詞
  • scant

    similar meaning but more factual; 'scant' suggests barely enough, while 'meager' focuses on disappointment at how little there is

  • paltry

    stronger negative tone; 'paltry' feels dismissive and insulting, while 'meager' is more neutral-descriptive

  • sparse

    about distribution or density rather than amount; 'sparse' means thinly spread, while 'meager' means insufficient in quantity

  • skimpy

    more informal, often about clothing or portions; 'skimpy' suggests something is deliberately too small

反義詞
  • abundant

    opposite of insufficient — more than enough

  • ample

    opposite of meager — plenty or more than enough

  • generous

    opposite of meager when describing portions or amounts

文法句型

meager + noun (income, meal, harvest, resources)

be + meager

用法筆記

Typically used before nouns describing money, food, or resources. More common in written English and formal contexts than in everyday speech.

常見錯誤

❌He ate a meager cereal for breakfast.
✅He had a meager breakfast of dry bread and weak tea.
💡'Meager' describes something as pitifully small or poor in quality, not just any small portion. A normal bowl of cereal would not be called meager.