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

Although crop substitution has had some success in Colombia, experts say, it is an especially difficult transition for farmers in far-flung, scantily populated areas like Guaviare.

From Los Angeles Times

At the Mitchells’ apartment building in Hunts Point, a neighbor said she often saw scantily clad women who frequented the apartment peddling sex services around the block.

From New York Times

His face was a strong—a very strong—aquiline, with high bridge of the thin nose and peculiarly arched nostrils; with lofty domed forehead, and hair growing scantily round the temples but profusely elsewhere.

From Literature

The term comes from anime, in which creators added thirsty scenes with scantily clad characters to reel in fans.

From New York Times

Related Words

• almost
• hardly
• scarcely