scant
- 01 C1 Advanced
adj.very little or not enough of something.
adj.barely sufficient in amount or quantity; meager.
Simple“The survivors had scant hope of being found before the storm arrived.”
In context“The report was criticized for providing scant evidence to support such a radical change in public policy.”
- 02 C1 Advanced
det.used to emphasize that there is almost none of something.
det.functioning as a quantifier to indicate a negligible or insufficient amount.
Simple“He paid scant attention to the warnings until it was too late.”
In context“The CEO showed scant regard for the concerns raised by the junior staff during the merger negotiations.”
- 03 C2 Proficiency
v.to give someone less than they need or deserve.
v.to limit in amount or share; to provide a grudging or insufficient supply.
Simple“Do not scant the butter if you want the pastry to be flaky.”
In context“The old king was known to scant his servants' wages while spending a fortune on his own palace gardens.”
“Details of the register are scant at this stage, and are being developed as we speak.”
“This is a story of feuding families and warring tribes with scant acknowledgment of its impact on the people who are simply battle-fodder.”
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.