skimp

S1K5I1M3P3
/ˈskɪmp/New Zealand/ˈskɘmp/

verb

To mock, deride, scorn, scold, make fun of.

“I thought Adie was only skimpin' me.”

Similar
scantscrimpstint
OriginProto-Germanic *skimpijaną →
UncommonScrabble 13
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

skimp1

verbskimp (third-person singular simple present skimps, present participle skimping, simple past and past participle skimped)

present singular third person skimps · participle present skimping · participle past skimped · past skimped

  1. Northern EnglandScotlandTo mock, deride, scorn, scold, make fun of.

    I thought Adie was only skimpin' me.

skimp2

verbskimp (third-person singular simple present skimps, present participle skimping, simple past and past participle skimped)

present singular third person skimps · participle present skimping · participle past skimped · past skimped

  1. transitiveTo slight; to do carelessly; to scamp.

    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.

    1955 October, Rex Stout, “Die Like a Dog”, in Three Witnesses, Bantam, published 1994, →ISBN, page 159
  2. To make insufficient allowance for; to scant; to scrimp.

    Apple’s investment bought something. Its shows feel professional. They look like premium products that no one skimped on.

    2024 April 27, James Poniewozik, “The Comfortable Problem of Mid TV”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
    1 more example

    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.

    1964 January, “The maintenance of B.R. diesel-electric locomotives”, in Modern Railways, page 54
  3. intransitiveTo save; to be parsimonious or stingy.
adjectiveskimp (comparative more skimp, superlative most skimp)

comparative more skimp · superlative most skimp

  1. UKUScolloquialdateddialectalScanty.
nounskimp (plural skimps)

plural skimps

  1. A skimpy or insubstantial thing, especially a piece of clothing.

    I remembered how fierce it hurt and how it blistered. All that pain from just a skimp of flesh.

    2007, George Ella Lyon, With a Hammer for my Heart, page 192
  2. colloquialin pluralUnderwear.

    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.

    2007, Zoo Today

Synonyms & antonyms

verbwork hastily or carelessly; deal with inadequately and superficially

Similar
scant
Broader
work

verblimit in quality or quantity

Similar
scant
Broader
restricttrammellimit

verbsubsist on a meager allowance

Similar
scrimpstint
Broader
save

verbsupply sparingly and with restricted quantities

Similar
stintscant
Broader
supplyproviderender
Also see
cut cornerspinchscantscrimpstint

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

skimp · verb

  1. Proto-Germanic*skimpijaną“to skip, dance, gesture, mock”
  2. Englishskimp

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.

More words from Proto-Germanic

Full word history & related roots →

skimp · verb, adjective, noun

Probably related to scamp and scrimp.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian скъпя се, икономисвам
  • скъпя се (skăpja se)to make insufficient allowance for; to scant; to scrimp
  • икономисвам (ikonomisvam)to save; to be parsimonious or stingy
Chinese Mandarin 草率了事, 吝於 /吝于
  • 草率了事to slight; to do carelessly; to scamp
  • 吝於 /吝于to make insufficient allowance for; to scant; to scrimp
  • 節省 /节省 (jiéshěng)to save; to be parsimonious or stingy
  • 吝嗇 /吝啬 (lìnsè)to save; to be parsimonious or stingy
Czech odbýt, odfláknout
  • odbýtto slight; to do carelessly; to scamp
  • odfláknoutto slight; to do carelessly; to scamp
  • šiditto slight; to do carelessly; to scamp
  • ošiditto slight; to do carelessly; to scamp
  • odbývatto slight; to do carelessly; to scamp
  • šetřitto make insufficient allowance for; to scant; to scrimp
  • omezovatto make insufficient allowance for; to scant; to scrimp
  • šetřitto save; to be parsimonious or stingy
  • škudlitto save; to be parsimonious or stingy
Dutch schimpen, beknibbelen
  • schimpento slight; to do carelessly; to scamp
  • beknibbelento save; to be parsimonious or stingy
Finnish pinnata, pihistellä
  • pinnatato slight; to do carelessly; to scamp
  • pihistelläto make insufficient allowance for; to scant; to scrimp
  • pihdatato make insufficient allowance for; to scant; to scrimp
  • pihtaillato make insufficient allowance for; to scant; to scrimp
  • nuukaillato make insufficient allowance for; to scant; to scrimp
  • pihistelläto save; to be parsimonious or stingy
  • pihdatato save; to be parsimonious or stingy
  • pihtaillato save; to be parsimonious or stingy
  • nuukaillato save; to be parsimonious or stingy
French lésiner
  • lésinerto make insufficient allowance for; to scant; to scrimp
German nachlässig erledigen, schludern
  • nachlässig erledigento slight; to do carelessly; to scamp
  • schludernto slight; to do carelessly; to scamp
  • knausernto make insufficient allowance for; to scant; to scrimp
  • knapp haltento save; to be parsimonious or stingy
  • knausernto save; to be parsimonious or stingy
Italian sottovalutare, lesinare
  • sottovalutareto slight; to do carelessly; to scamp
  • lesinareto make insufficient allowance for; to scant; to scrimp
  • lesinareto save; to be parsimonious or stingy
Māori matatoua, matatoua
  • matatouato make insufficient allowance for; to scant; to scrimp
  • matatouato save; to be parsimonious or stingy
Norwegian spinke, knipe
  • spinketo make insufficient allowance for; to scant; to scrimp
  • knipeto make insufficient allowance for; to scant; to scrimp
  • spinketo save; to be parsimonious or stingy
Russian халту́рить, скупиться
  • халту́рить (xaltúritʹ)to slight; to do carelessly; to scamp
  • скупиться (skupitʹsja)to make insufficient allowance for; to scant; to scrimp
  • скупиться (skupitʹsja)to save; to be parsimonious or stingy
  • экономить (ekonomitʹ)to save; to be parsimonious or stingy
Spanish escatimar, racanear
  • escatimarto save; to be parsimonious or stingy
  • racanearto save; to be parsimonious or stingy
  • mezquinarto save; to be parsimonious or stingy
  • tacañearto save; to be parsimonious or stingy
  • cicatearto save; to be parsimonious or stingy
  • pichicatearto save; to be parsimonious or stingy
  • retacearto save; to be parsimonious or stingy
  • miserearto save; to be parsimonious or stingy
Swahili bania
  • baniato save; to be parsimonious or stingy
Swedish snåla
  • snålato save; to be parsimonious or stingy
Turkish baştan savma yapmak, savsaklamak
  • baştan savma yapmakto slight; to do carelessly; to scamp
  • savsaklamakto slight; to do carelessly; to scamp
  • az vermekto make insufficient allowance for; to scant; to scrimp
  • cimrilik etmekto make insufficient allowance for; to scant; to scrimp
  • kısmakto make insufficient allowance for; to scant; to scrimp
  • cimrilik etmekto save; to be parsimonious or stingy

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with skimp

implimppimpcrimpblimpprimpscrimpdimpguimpeimp.quimp
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

skimp. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/skimp

MLA

“skimp.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/skimp. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “skimp,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/skimp.

Source: skimp on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.