scant
adj.adj. very little or not enough of something. You use this to describe a small amount that is disappointing or barely there.
adj. barely sufficient or adequate; limited in quantity or degree. Often precedes the noun it modifies and is frequently paired with abstract nouns like 'attention', 'detail', or 'respect'.
The report provides scant evidence for these claims.
The hikers were forced to turn back after realizing they had scant supplies to last the night.
The historical record offers only scant details regarding the architect's early life, leaving much of his formative period to scholarly speculation.
Adjective and determiner from Middle English scant, from Old Norse skamt, neuter of skammr (“short”), from Proto-Germanic skammaz (“short”), from Proto-Indo-European (s)ḱem- (“mutilated, hornless”). Verb from Middle English scanten, from the adjective. Noun and adverb from Middle English scant, from the adjective.
Typically used attributively before a noun. It is a non-gradable adjective; one rarely says 'very scant'.