skimp

IPA/skɪmp/
KK[skˈɪmp]IPA/skɪmp/

skimp — 動詞

  • skimppresent simple I / you / we / they
  • skimpshe / she / it
  • skimpedpast simple
  • skimping-ing form

1. to provide or use less of something (such as time, money, materials, or effort)

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

節省；吝於

投入的時間、金錢或材料不足

to provide or use less of something (such as time, money, materials, or effort) than is really necessary, usually in an attempt to save costs, with the result that the quality of the finished work or experience suffers.

例句

Hana skimped on ingredients for her sister's cake, and it came out dry and bland.

Hana 烤妹妹的蛋糕時省了材料，結果蛋糕又乾又沒味道。

skimp on + [ingredients]

The contractor skimped on insulation, so the house was freezing cold every winter.

承包商在隔熱材料上偷工減料，結果房子每年冬天都冷得要命。

同義詞
  • stint

    more formal; 'stint on' means to give only a small or limited amount, often of money or time

  • cut corners

    an idiom meaning to do something less thoroughly to save time or money; implies deliberate shortcuts rather than mere insufficiency

  • scrimp

    usually paired with 'skimp' ('scrimp and skimp'); 'scrimp' alone focuses more on extreme economising on everyday expenses

反義詞
  • splurge

    to spend a lot of money freely, the opposite of being sparing

  • lavish

    to give or spend generously, ensuring quality is not compromised

文法句型

skimp + on + [something]

skimp + [amount/resource]

用法筆記

When the thing being skimped is stated, the preposition 'on' almost always follows: 'skimp on quality', 'skimp on ingredients'. A direct transitive use ('They skimped the portions') exists but is less common. The person skimping is usually a decision-maker — a cook, a manager, a builder — not someone with no control over resources.

常見錯誤

❌We skimped the project because we ran out of time.
✅We skimped on the project because we ran out of time.
💡'Skimp' needs a preposition ('on') when followed by the thing that received insufficient resources.
❌She skimped the money and bought a cheaper car.
✅She skimped on spending and bought a cheaper car.
💡The thing skimped is not the money but the activity or resource that receives too little.

skimp — 形容詞