Cool MateSkinny vs Thin
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Skinny
Top 3,000 (common)
Thin
Top 1,000 (very common)A2adjective
Most common: Thin
| Skinny | Thin | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //ˈskɪni//🇺🇸 //ˈskɪni// | 🇬🇧 /["/θɪn/"]/🇺🇸 /["/θɪn/"]/ |
| Meaning | Very thin or slim. | Not thick; having little width or depth. |
| Example | He was so skinny that his clothes looked baggy on him. | The ice on the pond is too thin to skate on. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 3,000 (common) | Top 1,000 (very common) |
| CEFR level | - | A2 |
| Part of speech | adjective | |
| Collocations | skinny jeans, skinny latte, skinny model, skinny frame, skinny girl | be, look, seem, extremely, fairly, very, be, seem, become, extremely, fairly, very, spread something (too) thin, stretch something (too) thin, thin on the ground |
| Antonyms | fat, overweight, chubby | thick, fat, bulky |
| Common mistakes | Confused with 'slim' which can have a positive connotation., Using it for objects rather than people, which may sound strange. | Confused with 'slim' which has positive connotations for people., Omitting 'thin' when describing the texture of food (e.g., 'thin sauce' not just 'sauce')., Using 'thinnest' when describing comparative aspects incorrectly. |
| Usage notes | Use 'skinny' to describe someone very thin. It can be informal and sometimes perceived as negative, so consider the context. | Use 'thin' to describe something that is not wide or thick. It can refer to physical objects, like a thin book, or describe a person. In informal contexts, it can sometimes have negative connotations if used to describe a person's body. |
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Frequently asked questions: Skinny vs Thin
What's the difference between Skinny and Thin?
Skinny: Very thin or slim. Thin: Not thick; having little width or depth.
Which is more common: Skinny and Thin?
Thin is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
Skinny: He was so skinny that his clothes looked baggy on him. Thin: The ice on the pond is too thin to skate on.
Can I use Skinny and Thin interchangeably?
Not always. Skinny and Thin are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.