18 Other Ways to Say Meager (With Examples)

Finding other ways to say meager can make your writing sound fresher and more precise. The word meager means too small in amount, quality, or strength, and it appears in essays, reports, reviews, and everyday conversation. Repeating it in every sentence can make your writing feel flat, especially when a little portion leaves everyone still hungry. The right alternative depends on your tone, so this guide groups 18 choices into casual, formal, and vivid options, each with a definition and an example sentence.

In this guide, you will find 18 handpicked alternatives to “meager,” each with a clear definition and an example sentence. Use them to sound sharper in essays, reviews, reports, and everyday conversation. You can also explore our guide to other ways to say “a few” for words that describe small numbers.

In this guide

1. Casual ways to say “meager”
2. Formal and professional alternatives
3. Vivid and descriptive words
4. Quick comparison: which word should you use?
5. Frequently asked questions

Casual ways to say “meager”

• 1. Tiny – very small in size or amount. She gave him a tiny slice of cake.
• 2. Skimpy – too small or too little, often in a stingy way. The skimpy lunch left us hungry by mid-afternoon.
• 3. Paltry – a disappointingly small amount. He earned a paltry sum for a full week of work.
• 4. Measly – so small that it feels almost insulting. They offered a measly pay rise after a record year.
• 5. Piddling – too small to matter much. The piddling amount of rain did nothing for the dry fields.
• 6. Slim – small in amount, with little to spare. Our chances look slim after the second defeat.

Formal and professional alternatives

• 7. Scant – falling short of what is wanted or needed. Scant rainfall left the reservoir lower than usual.
• 8. Scanty – not enough in amount, quantity, or extent. The crew had scanty supplies for the long winter.
• 9. Sparse – thinly spread, with too few units to fill the space. A sparse crowd watched the match in the rain.
• 10. Insufficient – not enough to meet a need or a standard. The funding was insufficient to finish the project.
• 11. Inadequate – not good enough in amount or quality. The inadequate lighting made the room hard to work in.
• 12. Deficient – lacking something important, often a nutrient or a quality. The diet was deficient in fresh fruit and vegetables.

Vivid and descriptive words

• 13. Lean – thin and without extra fat, food, or money. The family lived on a lean budget through the winter.
• 14. Spare – with nothing extra, only what is barely needed. He wrote in a spare style, with short, plain sentences.
• 15. Slender – small and thin, often in a graceful or slight way. Her slender hopes faded after the final interview.
• 16. Token – so small that it is only symbolic. The company offered a token bonus that pleased nobody.
• 17. Exiguous – extremely small, barely enough to count. The exiguous harvest could not feed the village through winter.
• 18. Stinted – limited on purpose, given in small amounts. The stinted portions left every guest asking for more.

Quick comparison: which word should you use?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best synonym for “meager” in formal writing?

“Scant” and “insufficient” are the safest formal choices, because both point to a clear shortfall without adding emotion. “Sparse” suits thinly spread things like crowds or details, while “deficient” works when something important is missing. For a formal phrase built on a similar idea, see our guide to other ways to say “a lack of”.

Is “skimpy” the same as “meager”?

Nearly. “Skimpy” often suggests stinginess, as if someone held back on purpose, while “meager” simply means too little. A skimpy meal feels ungenerous, but a meager harvest may just come from a dry season. A guide to saying meager lists the same formal and informal options, so check it if you want more wording ideas. If you want words for small numbers, see our guide to other ways to say “a few”.

Can I use “paltry” in an essay?

Yes, when you want to stress disappointment with a small amount. “Paltry” carries a judgment, so it suits reviews, opinion pieces, and persuasive essays. In a neutral report, pick “insufficient” or “scant” instead, because they state the fact without the attitude. To describe the opposite, a large amount, explore our guide to other ways to say “many”.

Final thoughts

The right synonym for “meager” depends on your audience and tone. Keep casual words like “tiny” and “skimpy” for conversation, lean on “scant” and “insufficient” in professional writing, and save vivid words like “exiguous” and “lean” for moments that deserve weight. Save this guide for your next essay, review, or report, and you will never stare at a bland sentence again. When you need words for small numbers, explore our guide to other ways to say “a few”.

16 Other Ways to Say Remorse (With Examples)

“Remorse” is a heavy word: it means deep regret for a wrong, not just a passing “oops.” A sharper noun, like “regret,” “contrition,” or “repentance,” tells the reader how deep the feeling goes and whether change follows it. This guide gives you 16 alternatives to remorse across everyday feelings, formal language, and intense emotion, each with a clear definition and an example sentence.

In this guide, you will find 16 handpicked alternatives to “remorse,” each with a clear definition and an example sentence. Use them for essays, stories, apologies, and everyday speech alike. You can also explore the synonym finder on infospebble.com for even more word choices across dozens of topics.

In this guide

1. Everyday feeling words
2. Deep and formal words
3. Literary and intense words
4. Quick comparison: which word should you use?
5. Frequently Asked Questions

Everyday feeling words

Use these for common, relatable regret.

• 1. Regret: sadness or disappointment over something done or missed. She felt deep regret for missing the farewell.
• 2. Guilt: the feeling of having done something wrong. Guilt kept him awake after the argument.
• 3. Shame: painful embarrassment about a fault or failure. Shame washed over her when she saw the damage.
• 4. Sorrow: deep sadness, often for a loss or a wrong. His sorrow showed in every apology.
• 5. Sadness: a general feeling of unhappiness. Sadness followed the harsh words for days.
• 6. Self-reproach: blaming yourself for a mistake. Self-reproach filled her letter of apology.

Deep and formal words

Use these for serious apologies and formal writing.

• 7. Contrition: sorrowful regret that forms true penitence. His contrition convinced the panel he had changed.
• 8. Penitence: humble regret for misdeeds. Her penitence showed in months of volunteer work.
• 9. Repentance: regret joined to a resolve to change. His repentance meant new habits, not just words.
• 10. Compunction: a painful sting of conscience. She felt compunction before sending the harsh email.
• 11. Remorsefulness: the state of feeling deep remorse. His remorsefulness never faded after the accident.

Literary and intense words

Use these for stories and writing where the feeling must hit hard.

• 12. Rue: bitter regret, often poetic. He lived with rue for the promise he broke.
• 13. Anguish: severe mental or physical pain. Anguish followed every reminder of the mistake.
• 14. Heartache: emotional pain, often lasting. Heartache shadowed her for a year.
• 15. Torment: great suffering of mind. Torment gripped him each night.
• 16. Self-blame: holding yourself responsible for a bad outcome. Self-blame made the apology hard to accept.

Quick comparison: which word should you use?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best synonym for remorse?

For most writing, “regret” is safest, because it covers sadness over a mistake without claiming the depth of remorse. The Merriam-Webster dictionary entry for remorse defines it as gnawing distress from guilt for past wrongs, which is stronger than ordinary regret.

What is the difference between remorse and regret?

Regret can be mild, like wishing you had chosen another route. Remorse is deeper and tied to wrongdoing, and it often lasts. Use remorse only when guilt is really involved.

What is the difference between remorse and guilt?

Guilt is the feeling of responsibility for a wrong. Remorse is the lasting distress that guilt can cause. In short, guilt points to the fault, and remorse describes the pain that follows.

Is repentance the same as remorse?

No. Repentance adds a resolve to change, while remorse alone is only the feeling. A person can feel remorse yet keep repeating the same mistake. For calming words after a hard moment, see our other ways to say “chill or relaxed”.

What word should I use in a formal apology?

Use “contrition” or “penitence” for a serious, humble tone. Both signal that the regret is sincere, not just polite.

What is a gentle word for remorse?

Try “regret” or “sorrow.” Both admit the mistake without the heavy, lasting weight of remorse. For words of thanks after an apology is accepted, see our other ways to say “thank you”.

Final Thoughts

The right way to say remorse depends on how deep the feeling is and whether change follows. Use “regret” for everyday mistakes, “guilt” for responsibility, and “contrition” or “repentance” for serious apologies. Whatever you choose, match the word to the weight of the wrong, because a light word for a grave mistake sounds careless, and a heavy word for a small slip sounds false. And when nerves follow the mistake, our other ways to say “nervous” covers the feelings that follow.