dürftig

Dürftig is a German adjective used to describe something as meager, scant, or of poor quality. It denotes that a quantity, resource, or performance falls short of what is sufficient or satisfactory. In everyday usage it typically carries a negative nuance and is stronger than merely saying something is small or insufficient.

The term is commonly applied to tangible things such as meals or equipment, as well as to abstract aspects like evidence, budgets, or efforts. For example, a meal can be described as dürftig, a piece of equipment can be considered dürftig, and a case of evidence might be called dürftige. The expression often conveys a sense of inadequacy or insufficiency rather than outright uselessness.

Etymology and usage notes: dürftig is a long-established German adjective with roots in the Germanic language family; the exact origin is not always clear. It has been used since the Middle Ages to indicate scarcity or inadequacy. The word remains productive in modern German and can describe both tangible items and intangible qualities.

Synonyms and nuances: closest antonyms include ausreichend (sufficient) and genügend (plausible). Related terms such as mager, knapp, or spärlich convey related ideas of scarcity or insufficiency but vary in connotation and strength. Dürftig is commonly used for evaluations of resources, performances, or descriptions that fail to meet expectations, rather than for people in a neutral sense. In context, it often implies criticism of adequacy or substance.