Scant - Dictionary Of English

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scant [links] UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈskænt/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/skænt/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(skant) ⓘ One or more forum threads is an exact match of your searched term in Spanish | in French | English synonyms | English Collocations | English Usage | Conjugator | in context | images Inflections of 'scant' (adj): scanteradj comparative scantestadj superlative WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026scant /skænt/USA pronunciation adj., -i•er, -i•est.
  1. barely enough in amount or quantity; insufficient; meager:Her new book received scant attention in the press.
  2. barely amounting to as much as indicated:[before a noun]Measure a scant cupful of flour into the bowl.
scant•ly, adv. scant•ness, n. [uncountable] WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026scant (skant),USA pronunciation adj., -er, -est, v., adv. adj.
    1. barely sufficient in amount or quantity; not abundant; almost inadequate:to do scant justice.
    2. limited; meager; not large:a scant amount.
    3. barely amounting to as much as indicated:a scant two hours; a scant cupful.
    4. having an inadequate or limited supply (usually fol. by of ):scant of breath.
    v.t.
    1. to make scant; diminish.
    2. to stint the supply of; withhold.
    3. to treat slightly or inadequately.
    adv.
    1. Scottish Termsscarcely; barely; hardly.
    • Old Norse skamt, neuter of skammr short
    • Middle English (adjective, adjectival) 1325–75
    scant′ly, adv. scant′ness, n.
      2. scanty, small, restricted. 4. short, lacking, wanting, deficient. 5. lessen, reduce, decrease, curtail. 6. limit, restrict, skimp, scrimp. 7. slight, neglect.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers:: scant /skænt/ adj
  1. scarcely sufficient; limited: he paid her scant attention
  2. (prenominal) slightly short of the amount indicated; bare: a scant ten inches
  3. (postpositive) followed by of: having a short supply (of)
vb (transitive)
  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
adv
  1. scarcely; barely
Etymology: 14th Century: from Old Norse skamt, from skammr/short; related to Old High German scamˈscantly adv 'scant' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations): scantling - scrimp - skimp - starveling - blind salamander - Ful - improper - jimp - mere - thin - scanty - shy - spare - sufficient In Lists: shoe dog words, more...Synonyms: scarce, insufficient, meager, limited, inadequate, more...Collocations: scant [opportunities, time] (to), is scant on [opportunities], [a country, an area, a region] of scant resources, more...

🗣️Forum discussions with the word(s) "scant" in the title:

3/4 scant cup (?) blew scant hair off his forehead He's fat, and scant of breath meagre, scant, scanty, sparse (time)? Printing made such rapid progress that a scant century(...) scant honour of a paraleipsis scant lines on his skin scant noontime shade scant scanty scant, scanty or scarce synonyms for the adjective "scant" the heft and the scant What scant plant life Visit the English Only Forum.Help WordReference: Ask in the forums yourself. Look up "scant" at Merriam-Webster Look up "scant" at dictionary.com
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