scant

adjective
UK: /skænt/
US: /skænt/

  1. Not enough; barely sufficient or adequate.

    1. We have a scant supply of water; use it sparingly because it's scant.
    2. Details about his early life are scant because the information is truly scant.

  2. Limited or meager, especially in amount, quantity, or extent.

    1. Her knowledge of the subject is scant, but she is trying to study.
    2. Despite scant evidence, the jury reached a verdict since evidence was scant.

Synonyms

meager limited scarce deficient
scant transitive-verb

  1. To provide grudgingly or in a small amount.

    1. Don't scant the sugar in the recipe; the results will be poor if you scant it.
    2. The company may scant resources for training, however, in the long term the consequences may be negative if they scant it.

  2. To limit or restrict the supply of something.

    1. They shouldn't scant the needy of food and medicine because it's not moral.
    2. The government chose to scant funding for education, which led to significant problems, because the budget was limited.
scant adverb

  1. Barely; scarcely; not quite.

    1. The garden was scant big enough for a table, and a couple of chairs.
    2. It was scant a minute before the fire alarm went off, because the danger was close.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "scant" in English means: Not enough; barely sufficient or adequate., Limited or meager, especially in amount, quantity, or extent..

The phonetic transcription of "scant" is /skænt/ in British English and /skænt/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "scant": meager, limited, scarce, deficient.

Example usage of "scant": "We have a scant supply of water; use it sparingly because it's scant.". More examples on the page.