scanty

[ skan-tee ]
/ ˈskæn ti /

adjective, scant·i·er, scant·i·est.

scant in amount, quantity, etc.; barely sufficient.
meager; not adequate.
lacking amplitude in extent or compass.

noun, plural scant·ies.

scanties, very brief underpants, especially for women.

Origin of scanty

1650–60; scant + -y1; (def 4) blend of scanty and panties

SYNONYMS FOR scanty

1, 2 Scanty, meager, sparse refer to insufficiency or deficiency in quantity, number, etc. Scanty denotes smallness or insufficiency of quantity, number, supply, etc.: a scanty supply of food. Meager indicates that something is poor, stinted, or inadequate: meager fare; a meager income. Sparse applies particularly to that which grows thinly or is thinly strewn or sown, often over a wide area: sparse vegetation; a sparse population.

OTHER WORDS FROM scanty

scant·i·ly, adverb scant·i·ness, noun un·scant·y, adjective

Example sentences from the Web for scanty

British Dictionary definitions for scanty

scanty
/ (ˈskæntɪ) /

adjective scantier or scantiest

limited; barely enough; meagre
insufficient; inadequate
lacking fullness; small

Derived forms of scanty

scantily, adverb scantiness, noun