Scant Definition and Meaning
By Maham Liaqat & Fiza Rafique — Published on March 22, 2024
Scant refers to something that is barely sufficient or not enough in quantity, size, or extent. e.g., The survivors had scant food supplies after the storm.
Table of Contents
Scant Definitions
Limited in quantity, amount, or extent.
They had only a scant few hours before the deadline.
Skimpy or minimal in coverage.
The costume consisted of scant fabric and left little to the imagination.
To do or provide something in a way that is insufficient.
The novel scanted the development of secondary characters.
Just short of a specified measure or quantity.
The room was scant ten feet wide.
Insufficient for the demand or need.
Water was in scant supply during the drought.
To limit or deal with inadequately.
The budget scanted essential services like healthcare.
To deal with or treat in a superficial or cursory manner.
The report scanted the issue's complexity.
To barely exceed or fall short of.
His height was scant an inch over five feet.
Barely sufficient or adequate.
The evidence provided was scant, making it hard to draw a conclusion.
Providing or yielding little; meager.
The dry season left the farmers with scant harvests.
Barely sufficient
Paid scant attention to the lecture.
Falling short of a specific measure
A scant cup of sugar.
Inadequately supplied; short
We were scant of breath after the lengthy climb.
To give an inadequate portion or allowance to
Had to scant the older children in order to nourish the newborn.
To limit, as in amount or share; stint
Our leisure time is scanted by this demanding job.
To deal with or treat inadequately or neglectfully; slight.
Not full, large, or plentiful; scarcely sufficient; scanty; meager.
A scant allowance of provisions or water; a scant pattern of cloth for a garment
Sparing; parsimonious; chary.
(transitive) To limit in amount or share; to stint.
To scant someone in provisions; to scant ourselves in the use of necessaries
(intransitive) To fail, or become less; to scantle.
The wind scants.
Very little, very few.
After his previous escapades, Mary had scant reason to believe John.
A small piece or quantity.
(uncommon) Scarcity; lack.
(masonry) A block of stone sawn on two sides down to the bed level.
(masonry) A sheet of stone.
(wood) A slightly thinner measurement of a standard wood size.
With difficulty; scarcely; hardly.
Not full, large, or plentiful; scarcely sufficient; less than is wanted for the purpose; scanty; meager; not enough; as, a scant allowance of provisions or water; a scant pattern of cloth for a garment.
His sermon was scant, in all, a quarter of an hour.
Sparing; parsimonious; chary.
Be somewhat scanter of your maiden presence.
To limit; to straiten; to treat illiberally; to stint; as, to scant one in provisions; to scant ourselves in the use of necessaries.
Where a man hath a great living laid together and where he is scanted.
I am scanted in the pleasure of dwelling on your actions.
To cut short; to make small, narrow, or scanty; to curtail.
To fail, or become less; to scantle; as, the wind scants.
In a scant manner; with difficulty; scarcely; hardly.
So weak that he was scant able to go down the stairs.
Scantness; scarcity.
Work hastily or carelessly; deal with inadequately and superficially
Limit in quality or quantity
Supply sparingly and with restricted quantities;
Sting with the allowance
Less than the correct or legal or full amount often deliberately so;
A light pound
A scant cup of sugar
Regularly gives short weight
Scant Snonyms
Limited
Small in quantity or amount; not plentiful.
Resources are limited in the region.
Meager
Lacking in quantity or quality; lean; thin.
The settlers survived on meager rations.
Skimpy
Less than enough; scanty.
The meal was skimpy and left them feeling hungry.
Inadequate
Lacking the quality or quantity required; insufficient for a purpose.
The room's heating was inadequate in winter.
Paltry
Small or meager.
She considered the salary offer paltry and declined the job.
Sparse
Thinly dispersed or scattered.
The sparse population of the island made it feel deserted.
Insufficient
Not enough; inadequate.
The evidence was insufficient for a conviction.
Minimal
Of a minimum amount, quantity, or degree; negligible.
He received minimal assistance from the government.
Bare
Just enough; merely.
They had the bare essentials for the camping trip.
Slight
Small in degree; inconsiderable.
There's a slight chance of rain tomorrow.
Scant Idioms & Phrases
Scant on details
Lacking in thorough or specific information.
The report was scant on details regarding the incident.
Scant attention
Very little focus or notice.
The issue received scant attention from the media.
Make scant of
To treat as unimportant or trivial.
He made scant of the risks involved in the venture.
Give scant thought to
To consider something very little or not at all.
She gave scant thought to the consequences of her actions.
Scant of breath
Short of breath; breathing with difficulty.
After the climb, she was scant of breath.
Scant regard
Little or no consideration or respect.
She showed scant regard for the company's policies.
By a scant margin
By a very small difference or amount.
He won the race by a scant margin of seconds.
Scant praise
Very little approval or commendation.
The performance earned scant praise from the audience.
Scant hope
Very little optimism or expectation.
There was scant hope for recovery after the disaster.
With scant success
With very little or no success.
They tried to negotiate with scant success.
Scant comfort
Very little consolation or solace.
The news provided scant comfort to those affected.
Scant evidence
Very little proof or support for a claim.
There was scant evidence to support the theory.
With scant ceremony
With very little formality or pomp.
The agreement was signed with scant ceremony.
Scant courtesy
Very little politeness or consideration.
He offered scant courtesy to his guests.
Scant respect
Very little admiration or esteem.
The critics showed scant respect for the new film.
Scant resources
Very limited supplies or assets.
The team had to work with scant resources.
Scant justice
Very little fairness or equity.
The verdict did scant justice to the complexity of the case.
Live on scant means
To survive with very little money or resources.
The family lived on scant means but remained hopeful.
Scant recognition
Very little acknowledgment or notice.
Her contributions received scant recognition.
Scant measure
An inadequate or insufficient amount.
The servings were of scant measure, leaving many hungry.
Scant Example Sentences
The scant amount of evidence made the case difficult to prove.
They had scant time to evacuate before the hurricane hit.
Resources were scant, leading to difficult choices.
Her patience grew scant as the meeting dragged on.
Scant attention was paid to the warning signs.
The crowd was scant, with only a few attendees.
The room offered scant space for additional furniture.
The garden received scant sunlight, affecting the plants' growth.
Their savings were scant after months of unemployment.
The evidence was scant, but the jury was convinced.
Supplies were scant in the remote village.
His knowledge of the subject was scant at best.
With scant regard for the rules, he proceeded anyway.
The information available on the topic is scant.
The artist's recognition was scant during his lifetime.
Common Curiosities
How is scant used in a sentence?
Scant is used as an adjective to describe something that is barely sufficient or limited, e.g., The detective had scant evidence to proceed with the case.
Why is it called scant?
It is called "scant" because it comes from the Old Norse word "skamt," which means short or brief, reflecting the idea of being barely sufficient or limited in quantity.
What is the verb form of scant?
The verb form of "scant" is also "scant," meaning to provide in an insufficient amount or to limit, with "scanted" as its past tense and past participle.
What is the pronunciation of scant?
Scant is pronounced as /skænt/.
What is the root word of scant?
The root word of "scant" is from the Old Norse "skamt," meaning short or brief.
What is the first form of scant?
The first form of "scant" is "scant," used as the present tense.
How do we divide scant into syllables?
Scant is a single-syllable word and is not divided further.
What is a stressed syllable in scant?
The entire word "scant" is stressed, as it consists of only one syllable.
What is another term for scant?
Another term for "scant" could be "meager" or "insufficient."
How many syllables are in scant?
Scant has one syllable.
Is scant an adverb?
No, "scant" is not an adverb; it is an adjective and a verb.
Is scant a collective noun?
No, "scant" is not a collective noun; it is an adjective and a verb.
Is the scant term a metaphor?
"Scant" can be used metaphorically to describe situations or amounts that are minimal or barely sufficient.
What is the second form of scant?
The second form of "scant" is "scanted," representing the simple past tense.
What is the third form of scant?
The third form of "scant" is "scanted," used as the past participle.
Is scant an abstract noun?
No, "scant" is not a noun; it is an adjective and a verb.
Is scant a negative or positive word?
"Scant" generally has a negative connotation, as it implies insufficiency or inadequacy.
Is the word scant imperative?
As a verb, "scant" can be used in the imperative mood as a command, e.g., "Scant not your efforts."
Which determiner is used with scant?
Determiners like "a," "the," or possessive pronouns can be used with "scant" when it modifies a noun, e.g., "a scant amount."
What part of speech is scant?
"Scant" is primarily used as an adjective, but it can also function as a verb.
What is the singular form of scant?
As an adjective, "scant" does not have singular or plural forms. As a verb, its singular form is "scants" in the third person present tense.
What is the plural form of scant?
As an adjective, "scant" remains unchanged in plural contexts. As a verb, the base form "scant" is used for plural subjects.
What is the opposite of scant?
The opposite of "scant" could be "abundant" or "ample."
Is scant a noun or adjective?
Scant is primarily an adjective but can also be used as a verb.
Is scant a countable noun?
"Scant" is not a noun; it is an adjective and a verb, so the concept of countability does not apply.
Is the word scant Gerund?
No, "scant" in its base form is not a gerund. However, "scanting" would be the gerund form.
Is the word “scant” a Direct object or an Indirect object?
"Scant" as a verb can have a direct object, e.g., "She scanted her praise," where "praise" is the direct object.
Which preposition is used with scant?
Prepositions commonly used with "scant" include "of" and "on," depending on the context, e.g., "scant of details" or "paid scant attention on."
Which article is used with scant?
The article "a" is often used with "scant" when it modifies a singular countable noun, e.g., "a scant supply."
Is scant a vowel or consonant?
The word "scant" starts with a consonant sound made by the letter "S."
Which vowel is used before scant?
The vowel used before "scant" depends on the preceding word, not on "scant" itself.
Which conjunction is used with scant?
Conjunctions like "and," "but," or "or" can be used with "scant," depending on the sentence structure, e.g., "Scant resources and high demand."
Share Your Discovery
Previous Term
Resolve Definition and Meaning
Next Term
Courier Definition and MeaningAuthor Spotlight
Written by
Maham Liaqat
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
