Being called skinny, compliment or insult?

i would say its a compliment at least to me it is ive always been fat so to say im skinny is a nice change

I don't like to be called skinny, but I wouldn't say it's an insult, however it could be if it was meant to be insulting.

I hate it, but only because i feel people are only saying it to be nice/humour me or load it with so much sarcasm they may as well have just called me fat.

Back before I had children and doubled in size I used to hate being called skinny, because it was normally either said with faux concern or as a compli-insult. Typically by another female.
Only time I found it a compliment was said by a guy I didn't know, we were out all with friends and I was giving my excuses for leaving them all to their drinks- I had to get up early to early to go for my walk/hike before I started work- he said "YOU get up early to walk? To lose weight? From where?! The only soft part of your body I can see is your tits!". Not necessarily a compliment but he said it honestly and without any innuendo, so I took it as a genuine compliment.

My neighbor calls me skinny minnie - I take it as a compliment.

ETA: I never used the word fit before I lost weight.

I was recently called skinny and I've taken it as a compliment. Average people not trying to get fit don't really get the technicalities and I don't think I really look fit at this point so I'll take it. I know that it was genuine and they were happy for what I've accomplished.

It could be neither, or either, depending on who says it and how.

Skinny is a good thing!

skinny ain't right. need dem big booty *******

While I don't want to be skinny (I'd rather be fit, with muscles) I usually take it as a compliment as it's nearly always meant as one, to just mean "looks good" or "slim"

I personally don't want to be called that, and I don't say other people are unless i'm being somewhat insulting (I think anyway, please don't search my posts).

anyway, just curious about the word from male and female perspectives.

Insult. Skinny is not cool.

It's all about perception and intention. If you intended it to be an insult, it is. If you meant it to be a compliment, it is. The problem is the other side of the equation - perception. You may have intended it to be a compliment, but the receiver took it as an insult.

I would never feel insulted by being called skinny.

I've found, as a generalisation, men tend to find it insulting, but women often aspire to being skinny, so often find it complimentary.

For myself, I'd say it depends on the attitude of the person saying it - sometimes people say it as a compliment, while others say it to be b*tchy. As a word, though, it's not the most complimentary - 'slim' or 'slender' have better connotations. 'Skinny' has connotations of scrawniness, rather like 'bony' - the idea that you're all skin and bone. But lots of people don't think about that when they say it.

I take it as a bit of both. A compliment because I did use to weigh 247lbs, so when someone calls me skinny now, I think wow! Thanks!! (Even though I'm not) but I also take it as a bit of an insult, from the WAY people say it...they say it like it's a bad thing and they usually add after, you need to stop losing weight now, your too thin (I'm still classed as plus size, so no idea why certain people are saying that!) So I just accept their critique and get on with my life, it's my body and it has nothing to do with them!! lol

After being fat for so long, I wouldn't mind being called skinny but I do get where you're coming from

This!