Standard Lemma guide

scant

adj · adv · det · noun · verb · 15 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /skænt/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • British, Northern-England, Scotland, Southern, Standard, Wales: /skant/
  • Australian: /skæːnt/
  • New-Zealand: /skɛnt/
  • rhymes with -ænt
  • CMU ARPABET: S K AE1 N T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Not full, large, or plentiful; scarcely sufficient; scanty; meager.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • a scant allowance of provisions or water; a scant pattern of cloth for a garment

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: sparse, spare

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Sparing; parsimonious; chary.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Slightly diminished; just short of the amount described.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: cooking, food, lifestyle

Examples

  • a scant cup of sugar

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adv

Meaning 4

With difficulty; scarcely; hardly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: dated, not-comparable, uncommon

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

det

Meaning 5

Very little, very few.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • After his previous escapades, Mary had scant reason to believe John.
  • (as pronoun) The failure of this project has scant to do with me.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A small piece or quantity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

Scarcity; lack.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncommon

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

A block of stone sawn on two sides down to the bed level.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: business, construction, manufacturing, masonry

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

A sheet of stone.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: business, construction, manufacturing, masonry

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

A slightly thinner measurement of a standard wood size.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: wood

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

verb

Meaning 11

To limit in amount or share; to stint.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • to scant someone in provisions; to scant ourselves in the use of necessaries

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

verb

Meaning 12

To fail, or become less; to scantle.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • The wind scants.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

verb

Meaning 13

supply sparingly and with restricted quantities

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • sting with the allowance

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: stint, skimp

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: supply, provide, render, furnish

14

verb

Meaning 14

limit in quality or quantity

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: skimp

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: restrict

15

verb

Meaning 15

work hastily or carelessly; deal with inadequately and superficially

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: skimp

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: work

History

Etymology

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.

Across languages

Translations

46 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: ограничен (ograničen) — not plentiful, scarcely sufficient
  • Bulgarian: оскъден (oskǎden) — not plentiful, scarcely sufficient
  • Czech: nedostatečný — not plentiful, scarcely sufficient
  • Czech: malý — not plentiful, scarcely sufficient
  • Czech: pouhý — not plentiful, scarcely sufficient
  • Danish: mager — not plentiful, scarcely sufficient
  • Danish: knap — not plentiful, scarcely sufficient
  • Dutch: mager — not plentiful, scarcely sufficient
  • Dutch: krap — not plentiful, scarcely sufficient
  • Dutch: schaars — not plentiful, scarcely sufficient
  • Dutch: schamel — not plentiful, scarcely sufficient
  • Esperanto: malabunda — not plentiful, scarcely sufficient
  • Esperanto: preskaŭ nesufiĉa — not plentiful, scarcely sufficient
  • Finnish: niukka — not plentiful, scarcely sufficient
  • Romanian: limitat — not plentiful, scarcely sufficient
  • Romanian: aproape suficient — not plentiful, scarcely sufficient
  • Romanian: economicos — not plentiful, scarcely sufficient
  • Romanian: parcimonios — not plentiful, scarcely sufficient
  • Spanish: escaso — not plentiful, scarcely sufficient
  • Spanish: magro — not plentiful, scarcely sufficient
  • Swedish: knapp — not plentiful, scarcely sufficient
  • Thai: อันน้อยนิด — not plentiful, scarcely sufficient
  • Bulgarian: твърде малък (tvǎrde malǎk) — very little
  • Czech: pramalý — very little
  • Danish: meget lidt — very little
  • Danish: knap — very little
  • Dutch: gering — very little
  • Dutch: karig — very little
  • Esperanto: malmultete — very little
  • Finnish: niukka — very little
  • French: insuffisant — very little
  • French: rare — very little
  • French: maigre — very little
  • German: spärlich — very little
  • German: gering — very little
  • German: dürftig — very little
  • German: knapp — very little
  • German: kaum — very little
  • Hebrew: מעט מאוד (méat méod) — very little
  • Italian: scarso — very little
  • Italian: esiguo — very little
  • Portuguese: escasso — very little
  • Romanian: foarte puțin — very little
  • Russian: недоста́точный (nedostátočnyj) — very little
  • Scottish Gaelic: gann — very little
  • Spanish: exiguo — very little