scant

Scant is an English adjective meaning barely sufficient or only in small amounts. It describes quantities or efforts that fall short of what is needed, often carrying a sense of insufficiency without stating an exact measure. Common uses include scant resources, scant evidence, scant attention, or a scant amount of rainfall. The term can emphasize that while something exists, it is not enough to meet requirements.

As a verb, scant means to provide in insufficient quantities or to withhold. In this sense, to “scant” the budget means to allocate funding only sparingly. The adverbial form is uncommon in contemporary usage, and many speakers instead use phrases like “scarcely” or “barely” to convey similar meaning. A closely related adjective, scanty, more explicitly denotes meagerness or sparseness and is often used for clothing as well as amounts.

Origin and related terms: Scant derives from Middle English, with roots in older Germanic languages that express scarcity or smallness. The word has a long history in English and remains common in formal, academic, and literary writing. Related terms include scarcity, scantiness, and scantling; antonyms include abundant, plentiful, and ample.