skint

Skint is a British English informal adjective meaning having little or no money. It is used to describe someone who cannot afford something or is financially strapped, as in “I’m skint this month” or “We’re a bit skint after paying the rent.” It can be predicative, as in “He’s skint,” or attributive, as in “a skint student,” though predicative use is more common.

Etymology and history are not entirely clear. Skint appears in British working-class slang from the 19th or 20th century, with the sense tied to being bare or stripped of money. While the exact derivation is uncertain, the core idea is that money has been taken away or is unavailable. The term remains informal and is most frequently encountered in conversation, media, and online in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Regional and social variation: Skint is most common in the United Kingdom and Ireland and is widely understood in other English-speaking regions, though it is less familiar in American English, where speakers might say “broke” or “penniless.” It carries a light, self-deprecating tone and is typically used in casual contexts rather than formal writing.

In culture and branding: The word has appeared in popular culture and branding, including use in names such as Skint Records, a British record label. The term’s lasting presence in media and everyday speech reflects its place in informal British vernacular as a concise way to describe financial constraint.