scanty

adjective \ ˈskan-tē \

|Updated on: 14 Jun 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: scanty in a Sentence

Definition of scanty

scantier; scantiest

: limited or less than sufficient in degree, quantity, or extent

—

scantily

play \ˈskan-tə-lē\ adverb

—

scantiness

play \ˈskan-tē-nəs\ noun

See scanty defined for English-language learners

See scanty defined for kids

Examples of scanty in a Sentence

The cheerleaders wore scanty outfits.
the camera's scanty instructions left me somewhat confused

Recent Examples of scanty from the Web

Persky then allowed photographs of wearing a scanty Halloween outfit sometime after the attack to be submitted as evidence.

— gabriel baumgaertner, SI.com, "Brock Turner, the 'Athlete Bias,' and the Movement That Produced the Recall of Judge Aaron Persky," 6 June 2018
Discarding even the tights, the Menken wore only a scanty white blouse and shorts that came up well above her knees.

— gary kamiya, San Francisco Chronicle, "The 19th century nude scene that took San Francisco by storm," 27 Apr. 2018
Areas farthest out received scanty deposition of the finest particles amid brackish tides, becoming grassy wetlands or saline marsh.

— richard campanella, The Atlantic, "How Humans Sank New Orleans," 6 Feb. 2018
But his background in film is scanty, columnist Janusz Wroblewski, who covers the film industry for Polish daily Polityka, says.

— nick holdsworth, The Hollywood Reporter, "Polish Filmmakers Concerned About New Head of Film-Financing Organization," 11 Dec. 2017
Second-and-third-tier super PACs with scanty track records and little known about them have jumped in to fill the gap.

— ashley balcerzak, NBC News, "Mystery money floods Alabama in Senate race’s final days," 8 Dec. 2017
Kids and adults alike around the country and beyond dress up in ghoulish masks or devilishly scanty costumes, and go out on the town for some wicked fun.

— marjua estevez, Billboard, "Day of the Dead Google Doodle: 5 Things to Know About the Mexican Holiday," 2 Nov. 2017
His later political career was notable in its ambitions, though scanty in its achievements.

— The Economist, "Barbed humourObituary: Richard “Dick” Gregory died on August 19th," 7 Sep. 2017
This means less room for others who might be seeking psychiatric care, while at the same time, states have cut billions from mental health, leaving even scantier outpatient systems.

— mac mcclelland, New York Times, "When ‘Not Guilty’ Is a Life Sentence," 27 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'scanty.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of scanty

English dialect scant scanty supply, from Middle English, from Old Norse skamt, from neuter of skammr short

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1600

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

scanty Synonyms

Phrases

thin on the ground;

Synonym Discussion of scanty

meager, scanty, scant, skimpy, spare, sparse mean falling short of what is normal, necessary, or desirable. meager implies the absence of elements, qualities, or numbers necessary to a thing's richness, substance, or potency.