skimp
/ˈskɪmp/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.52 in modern English
13
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
1
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To mock, deride, scorn, scold, make fun of.
verb
To make insufficient allowance for; to scant; to scrimp.
noun
A skimpy or insubstantial thing, especially a piece of clothing.
Example Sentences
- "I thought Adie was only skimpin' me."
- "I got out my wallet and let him have a look at my licenses, detective and driver's. He didn't skimp it, being a lawyer."
- "The temptation to skimp examinations and maintenance procedures, to save time or overcome staff shortages, must be resisted, and supervisors must insist on strict adherence to maintenance schedules and quality of workmanship."
- "Apple’s investment bought something. Its shows feel professional. They look like premium products that no one skimped on."
- "I remembered how fierce it hurt and how it blistered. All that pain from just a skimp of flesh."
- "While presenting a rundown of the sexiest soap stars in the world in this week's ZOO, Hollyoaks' Gemma Atkinson very kindly stripped down to her skimps herself."
Etymology
Perhaps of North Germanic origin, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *skimpijaną (“to skip, dance, gesture, mock”). Cognate with Icelandic skimpa (“to scoff at, scorn”), dialectal Swedish skimpa (“to skip, dance”), Faroese skumpa (“to shove, bump”), German schimpfen (“to grumble, scold”), Dutch schimpen (“to mock, make fun of, scold”). Possibly distantly related to change.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: *skimpijaną
Usage
- Transitive verb
- Intransitive verb
- British usage
- American usage
- Colloquial
- Dated
Inflected Forms
skimps (present, singular)
skimping (participle, present)
skimped (participle, past)
skimped (past)
more skimp (comparative)
most skimp (superlative)
skimps (plural)