scant

[skant]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR scant ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, scant·er, scant·est.

barely sufficient in amount or quantity; not abundant; almost inadequate: to do scant justice.

limited; meager; not large: a scant amount.

barely amounting to as much as indicated: a scant two hours; a scant cupful.

having an inadequate or limited supply (usually followed by of): scant of breath.

verb (used with object)

to make scant; diminish.

to stint the supply of; withhold.

to treat slightly or inadequately.

adverb

Scot. and North England Dialect. scarcely; barely; hardly.

Nearby words

Origin of scant

1325–75; Middle English (adj.) < Old Norse skamt, neuter of skammr short

SYNONYMS FOR scant

2. scanty, small, restricted. 4. short, lacking, wanting, deficient. 5. lessen, reduce, decrease, curtail. 6. limit, restrict, skimp, scrimp. 7. slight, neglect.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR scant ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsscant·ly, adverbscant·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for scant

Retailers were hammered by the scheme because checks and balances were scant in 2012, when the eBay grifting peaked.
The Insane $11 Billion Scam at Retailers’ Return Desks|M.L. Nestel|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But even if the promised money does finally arrive, there is scant guarantee it will be used appropriately.
Madonna, Carla Bruni & Obama Abandoned Pledges To Rebuild L'Aquila After The Quake|Barbie Latza Nadeau|November 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Indeed there is a pre-Hispanic ceremonial site located a scant 400 meters from the outer edge of the Otomí Lake & Villas property.
Trading Dime Bags for Salvador Dali|Jason McGahan|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She slammed the media, saying the coverage has been scant and inaccurate.
Defying Stereotypes, Young Muslim Writers Find Community Onstage|Julianne Chiaet|October 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Had it been a scant $23.6 million, she was still more than ready to pop some victory champagne.
Does This Widow Deserve $23 Billion?|Kevin Bleyer|July 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Oh, but how scant the utterance, and how faint, to my conceit!
Dante: "The Central Man of All the World"|John T. Slattery
The brilliant sun of the tropics, burning mercilessly through the rarefied air, causes the scant vegetation to wither.
Inca Land|Hiram Bingham
Many men with scant practical knowledge are attracted to it.
The Amazing Argentine|John Foster Fraser
There were chairs in scant clusters, places from which one could gaze.
The Wings of the Dove, Volume 1 of 2|Henry James
In very recent years, within one scant century, we are letting the girls go to school, even to college.
The home|Charlotte Perkins Gilman

British Dictionary definitions for scant

scant

adjective

scarcely sufficient; limitedhe paid her scant attention

(prenominal) slightly short of the amount indicated; barea scant ten inches

(postpositive foll by of) having a short supply (of)

verb (tr)

to limit in size or quantity

to provide with a limited or inadequate supply of

to treat in a slighting or inadequate manner

adverb

scarcely; barely

Derived Formsscantly, adverbscantness, noun

Word Origin for scant

C14: from Old Norse skamt, from skammr /short; related to Old High German scam

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for scant

scant

adj.

mid-14c., from a Scandinavian source (cf. Old Norse skamt, neuter of skammr "short, brief"), from Proto-Germanic *skamma- (cf. Old English scamm "short," Old High German skemmen "to shorten"), perhaps ultimately "hornless," from PIE *kem- (see hind (n.)). Also in Middle English as a noun, "scant supply, scarcity," from Old Norse. As a verb and adverb from mid-15c.

scant

adjective, scant·er, scant·est.

verb (used with object)

adverb

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of scant

Examples from the Web for scant

scant

adjective

verb (tr)

adverb

Word Origin for scant

scant