Slim Pickings

B1 16+

Pronunciation: /slɪm ˈpɪkɪŋz/

Definitions of slim pickings

noun a person, place, thing, or idea

Example Sentences

A1 When I went to the store, there were slim pickings for vegetables.

A2 At the job fair, there were slim pickings for entry-level positions.

B1 After the holiday season, the sales rack had slim pickings.

B2 As a collector, I know the feeling of slim pickings when searching for rare items.

C1 Despite their efforts, the search team only found slim pickings in the wreckage.

C2 The investors were disappointed to see slim pickings in the latest financial report.

adjective describes a noun or pronoun

Example Sentences

A1 The grocery store had slim pickings when it came to fresh produce.

A2 After searching through the job listings, she realized there were slim pickings for entry-level positions.

B1 As a freelance writer, she often faced slim pickings when it came to finding well-paying gigs.

B2 The art gallery had slim pickings in terms of contemporary pieces that caught her eye.

C1 Despite her extensive search, she found slim pickings in the real estate market for a house that met all her criteria.

C2 After years of experience in the industry, she was disappointed to find slim pickings in terms of career advancement opportunities.

Examples of slim pickings in a Sentence

formal The job market is tough right now, so many recent graduates are facing slim pickings when it comes to finding employment.

informal I went to the grocery store late in the evening, and there were slim pickings left in the produce section.

slang I checked out the clearance section at the mall, but it was slim pickings for anything decent.

figurative After the first round of auditions, the casting director told the actors that it was slim pickings for lead roles in the upcoming play.

Grammatical Forms of slim pickings

past tense

picked

plural

slim pickings

comparative

slimmer pickings

superlative

slimmest pickings

present tense

picks

future tense

will pick

perfect tense

have picked

continuous tense

is picking

singular

slim picking

positive degree

slim pickings

infinitive

to pick

gerund

picking

participle

picked

Origin and Evolution of slim pickings

First Known Use: 1850 year
Language of Origin: English
Story behind the word: The phrase 'slim pickings' originated in the United States during the mid-19th century.
Evolution of the word: Originally used to describe a situation where there is a limited or meager amount of choices or options, the phrase has evolved to also convey a sense of difficulty or scarcity in finding something desirable or satisfactory.