Skinny means very thin, with little body fat or muscle. A skinny person has a lean, narrow build. A skinny tree branch is slender and easy to snap.

The word often describes people, but it can describe anything narrow: skinny jeans are tight-fitting pants, and a skinny hallway is one you have to walk through single-file. A skinny letter means a thin envelope showed up in the mail.

When describing people, skinny can sometimes sound a bit critical or blunt, unlike words like slim or slender, which sound more neutral or complimentary. Some people are naturally skinny, while others are slender and athletic.

You might hear people use skinny in phrases like “the skinny on something,” which means the inside information or real story. If your friend promises to give you the skinny on what happened at recess, they're offering to tell you the full, honest details.