Scanty

Scanty

Adjective · /ˈskænti/ · small in quantity or extent; barely sufficient or less than is needed

Definition

Scanty means too small in quantity, size, or extent to be adequate for the purpose. It is the adjectival form derived from scant, and it shares that word's core meaning of falling short of sufficiency — but scanty tends to be used more broadly and often has a physical or material sense. Scanty clothing means clothing that covers very little. Scanty rainfall means there is far less rain than the land or the season requires. Scanty resources in a project context means there is not enough budget, staff, or material to complete the work properly. Like scant, scanty carries a slight evaluative weight — it implies inadequacy rather than simple smallness.

Origin

Scanty is formed from scant, which derives from Old Norse skamt, meaning short or brief. The suffix -y was added in English to form the adjective, following the standard English pattern for deriving adjectives from nouns or existing adjectives (think dusty from dust, windy from wind). The word has been in use since the seventeenth century. Its use in reference to clothing — particularly thin or revealing garments — became prominent in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.