# scant

/ˈskænt/ (US) · /skˈɑːnt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/scant
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. hardly enough

adjective · CEFR C1 · Literary

very little or not enough of something.

For teachers: barely sufficient in amount or quantity; meager.

- The survivors had scant hope of being found before the storm arrived.
- The report was criticized for providing scant evidence to support such a radical change in public policy.

### 3. very little

determiner · CEFR C1 · Formal

used to emphasize that there is almost none of something.

For teachers: functioning as a quantifier to indicate a negligible or insufficient amount.

- He paid scant attention to the warnings until it was too late.
- The CEO showed scant regard for the concerns raised by the junior staff during the merger negotiations.

### 4. to limit or provide less

verb · CEFR C2 · Literary · Archaic

to give someone less than they need or deserve.

For teachers: to limit in amount or share; to provide a grudging or insufficient supply.

- Do not scant the butter if you want the pastry to be flaky.
- The old king was known to scant his servants' wages while spending a fortune on his own palace gardens.

## Examples

- 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.