meagre
Translation
meager, scanty, insufficient
Examples
They survived on a meagre diet of bread and water.
They survived on a meager diet of bread and water.
He received a meagre salary for his hard work.
He received a meager salary for his hard work.
Grammar Patterns
((a/an)) meagre ((noun)) a small or insufficient amount of (sth.) He received a meagre salary.
Similar Words
Synonyms: scanty, sparse, insufficient; Antonyms: abundant, plentiful
Etymology
From Old French 'maigre' (thin), from Latin 'macer' (thin, lean).
Memory Tips
This is the British spelling. The standard American spelling is 'meager'. The '-re' ending is common in British English, like in 'centre' or 'theatre'.