2lean adjective
lean·er; lean·est [also more lean; most lean] 1 : not having much fat on the body : physically thin, strong, and healthy
▪ She has a lean, athletic body. ▪ a lean racehorse 2 : containing little or no fat
▪ lean meat ▪ (US) lean ground beef 3 : not having or producing much money, food, etc.
▪ Those were lean years for the company. [=the company did not make much money in those years] ▪ a lean budget/profit/harvest 4 usually approving : not using a lot of something (such as words or money)
▪ He had a lean style of writing. [=his writing style did not use too many words] : not wasteful ▪ She ran a lean and efficient company. ▪ We wanted our business to be lean and mean.
▪ She has a lean, athletic body. ▪ a lean racehorse
▪ lean meat ▪ (US) lean ground beef
▪ Those were lean years for the company. [=the company did not make much money in those years] ▪ a lean budget/profit/harvest
▪ He had a lean style of writing. [=his writing style did not use too many words] : not wasteful ▪ She ran a lean and efficient company. ▪ We wanted our business to be lean and mean.
— lean·ness 
/ˈli:nnəs/ noun [noncount]
/ˈli:nnəs/ noun [noncount]synonyms lean, thin, and skinny mean not having much fat on the body. lean suggests a lack of unnecessary fat and may also suggest the muscular body of an athlete.
▪ the strong lean legs of a runner thin can describe a person whose lack of fat is unhealthy, but it also often describes a person who is considered attractive. ▪ a thin and sickly old man ▪ The room was full of beautiful thin women. skinny describes a person who has an extremely thin appearance and who may not be healthy or eat enough food. ▪ skinny children in poor countries ▪ skinny legs
▪ the strong lean legs of a runner thin can describe a person whose lack of fat is unhealthy, but it also often describes a person who is considered attractive. ▪ a thin and sickly old man ▪ The room was full of beautiful thin women. skinny describes a person who has an extremely thin appearance and who may not be healthy or eat enough food. ▪ skinny children in poor countries ▪ skinny legs
