scantily

American  

[skan-tuh-lee] / ˈskæn tə li /

adverb

1. to a barely sufficient degree; in a meager or barely adequate quantity or way.

   We ate in a room adorned with posters of various scantily clad models.

   The first pioneers arrived in the valley just before winter, worn out and scantily supplied with provisions.

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Etymology

Origin of scantily

First recorded in 1620–30; scanty ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )

Example Sentences

Guests of this Coffin Creek attraction were carted along from one breached containment scenario to the next, with roving monsters periodically surprising them in the darkness between the scantily lighted vignettes.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 31, 2025

There were discussions last summer during the anti-racism protests about how police officers were very scantily masking.

From Slate • May 6, 2021

Photos of the accuser scantily clad, as well as her full name, were taken from her social media accounts and have been widely published by Russian media.

From Washington Post • May 28, 2019

“People of color were often scantily clothed, people of color were usually not seen in cities, people of color were not often surrounded by technologies of automobiles, airplanes or trains or factories,” he said.

From Washington Times • Mar. 12, 2018

Many of the women standing on line had infants strapped to their backs; others clutched fearful, scantily dressed, barefooted six- and seven-year-old boys and girls.

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane

Related Words

• almost
• hardly
• scarcely