Scant

Scant

Adjective / verb · /skænt/ · barely sufficient; hardly enough

Definition

As an adjective, scant means barely adequate or just below the level that would be considered sufficient. It implies not just a small quantity but a quantity that falls short of what is needed or expected. Scant attention means almost no attention at all. Scant evidence means the evidence is so thin that it barely qualifies. The word carries a slightly formal or literary register and often appears in critical or analytical contexts where the speaker wants to emphasise inadequacy without resorting to a blunt negative.

Origin

Scant comes from Old Norse skamt, meaning short or brief, the neuter form of skamr, short. It entered Middle English via Old Norse contact in northern England and Scotland. The root is related to Old English scamm and shares ancestry with the word shame in the sense of falling short of expectations. The verb sense — to skimp on, to provide barely enough — developed later in English but is now largely archaic, with the adjective remaining in active use.