scant

American  

[skant] / skænt /

adjective

scanter, scantest

1. barely sufficient in amount or quantity; not abundant; almost inadequate.

   to do scant justice.

2. limited; meager; not large.

   a scant amount.

   Synonyms:

   restricted, small, scanty

3. barely amounting to as much as indicated.

   a scant two hours; a scant cupful.

4. having an inadequate or limited supply (usually followed byof ).

   scant of breath.

   Synonyms:

   deficient, wanting, lacking, short

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verb (used with object)

1. to make scant; diminish.

   Synonyms:

   curtail, decrease, reduce, lessen

2. to stint the supply of; withhold.

   Synonyms:

   scrimp, skimp, restrict, limit

3. to treat slightly or inadequately.

   Synonyms:

   neglect, slight

adverb

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

scant British  

/ skænt /

adjective

1. scarcely sufficient; limited

   he paid her scant attention

2. (prenominal) slightly short of the amount indicated; bare

   a scant ten inches

3. having a short supply (of)

---

verb

1. to limit in size or quantity

2. to provide with a limited or inadequate supply of

3. to treat in a slighting or inadequate manner

adverb

1. scarcely; barely

Other Word Forms

• scantly
  adverb
• scantness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of scant

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

Explanation

Scant is an adjective that means "a tiny amount," like your scant attendance at practice this week that results in being benched from the big game. Scant is also a verb, that means "to supply sparingly" — don't scant with the brownies, or I will keep asking for more. Scant also means "to deal with inadequately or carelessly." When you scant the reports on homelessness, they are so superficial on data that they don't reflect the real problem. Scant comes from the Old Norse word skamt, meaning "short, brief."

Example Sentences

But details have been scant, with a lack of formal announcements or confirmation from the Chinese foreign ministry.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

Joao Pedro's stoppage-time overhead kick did save Chelsea the humiliation of losing six matches in a row without scoring for the first time in their history, but it was scant consolation.

From BBC • May 4, 2026

But the so-called “liberty city” experiment, in which communities agree to lean governments, little to no taxation and scant regulation, never grew into a large-scale movement.

From Salon • May 3, 2026

As the sensitive, flute-playing heir of the boorish, beer-swilling Frederick William I, the young prince had scant interest in soldiering.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026

Donovan made scant acknowledgment and passed into the pilot room to take over the controls from Sam Evans.

From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov

Related Words

• insufficient
• mere
• paltry
• scanty
• skimpy
• slight
• sparse