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.

Origin of scant

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

Related formsscant·ly, adverbscant·ness, noun

Synonyms for scant

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR scant ON THESAURUS.COM

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

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

Related Words for scant

paltry, slight, scanty, sparse, insufficient, mere, skimpy, short, spare, skimp, bare, thin, scrimp, wanting, barren, deficient, exiguous, flimsy, inappreciable, inconsiderable

Examples from the Web for scant

Contemporary Examples of 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
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
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
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
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

Historical Examples of scant

The sky was now clear, the air frosty, and my rags were but a scant protection to me.
Biography of a Slave
Charles Thompson
Of Rouquet's activities as an artist in England there are scant particulars.
De Libris: Prose and Verse
Austin Dobson
He appears to have grown fat and scant of breath when he was about thirty-six or seven.
The Man Shakespeare
Frank Harris
After the first day of the siege there was scant leisure for funeral rites.
Camps, Quarters and Casual Places
Archibald Forbes
The meat was little better than the bread in quality, and quite as scant in quantity.
Ned Myers
James Fenimore Cooper

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

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.