French Conversation · Level 70
59 words
French word
maigre
Pronunciation
IPA/mɛgʁ/
Meaning
- adjectivethin
Example
Le garçon est maigre.
The boy is thin.
More examples
Après l'opération, il est très maigre.
After the operation, he is very thin.
Core concept
A body that looks thin because it has little fat, extending figuratively to something sparse or insufficient.
Common phrases
avoir l'air maigre
look thin
trop maigre
too thin
paraître maigre
appear thin
Similar words
mince: Slim in appearance because of limited fat or flesh.
pauvre: Insufficient in amount or lacking in quality.
Definition in French
Se dit d'une personne qui manque de graisse et paraît très mince; s'emploie aussi pour ce qui est peu abondant.
Word origin
French maigre comes from Latin macer, meaning "thin" or "lean," and later extended from bodily thinness to scarcity.
Usage tips
- Maigre can describe nonphysical nouns such as salaire or récolte, where it means meager and often suggests an unfavorable amount.