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scant

2 of 2

verb

as in to spare
to use or give out in stingy amounts don't scant the peanut butter on those sandwiches!

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective scant differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of scant are meager, scanty, skimpy, spare, and sparse. While all these words mean "falling short of what is normal, necessary, or desirable," scant suggests a falling short of what is desired or desirable rather than of what is essential.

in January the daylight hours are scant

When is meager a more appropriate choice than scant?

The meanings of meager and scant largely overlap; however, meager implies the absence of elements, qualities, or numbers necessary to a thing's richness, substance, or potency.

a meager portion of meat

When could scanty be used to replace scant?

The words scanty and scant are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, scanty stresses insufficiency in amount, quantity, or extent.

supplies too scanty to last the winter

When can skimpy be used instead of scant?

The synonyms skimpy and scant are sometimes interchangeable, but skimpy usually suggests niggardliness or penury as the cause of the deficiency.

tacky housing developments on skimpy lots

When might spare be a better fit than scant?

While in some cases nearly identical to scant, spare may suggest a slight falling short of adequacy or merely an absence of superfluity.

a spare, concise style of writing

When is it sensible to use sparse instead of scant?

The words sparse and scant can be used in similar contexts, but sparse implies a thin scattering of units.

a sparse population

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of scant
Adjective
Che teased his album last month in a grainy video that cut between the rapper giving scant details on the release and shots of something engulfed in flames. Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 18 July 2025 But Souleymane’s difficulties go beyond the usual indignities of scant pay and exhausting hours. Justin Chang, New Yorker, 6 Aug. 2025
Verb
There were few roads or trails or even paths to follow and scant potable water, but plenty of pit vipers and tarantulas. Ellen Ruppel Shell, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Apr. 2022 In most cases, the Electoral College vote is a mere formality that carries no drama and garners scant public attention. Gilbert Garcia, ExpressNews.com, 18 Dec. 2020 See All Example Sentences for scant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scant
Adjective
  • While Uber lists Bardstown as a partner city, available drivers are sparse, so plan ahead for alternative transportation.
    Karla Walsh, Travel + Leisure, 15 Aug. 2025
  • But Canada’s massive swaths of forested land, a sparse population and limited infrastructure mean the country is constrained in its ability to respond to all blazes.
    Bloomberg, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Thankfully, Stitch's life was spared when Abigail Hester, 24, saw his picture on the website.
    Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Aug. 2025
  • No one is spared the agony of the search or the disappointment of their find.
    Nicholas Pileggi, Curbed, 15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Unfortunately, records are scarce due to the truck’s age.
    Erik S. Hanley, jsonline.com, 18 Aug. 2025
  • Firms were willing to incur resources to bring new graduates up the learning curve when software labor was scarce.
    Shivaram Rajgopal, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Congress decided to make daylight saving time permanent for two years from 1973 to 1975, extending the hours of daily sunlight year-round to conserve energy during the oil embargo crisis.
    Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 14 Aug. 2025
  • Blood vessels in the brain constrict to conserve fluids, causing dull, throbbing headache pain, typically in the front or back of the head.6 Low sodium levels (hyponatremia) and low potassium levels (hypokalemia) can both disrupt the flow of blood to the brain, contributing to headaches.78 4.
    MD Published, Verywell Health, 10 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Clues likely would be preserved inside the steel hull if the intrepid divers could find a way in.
    Frank Witsil, Freep.com, 25 Aug. 2025
  • It's been preserved by Levees.org, a group founded by Sandy Rosenthal after the storm.
    Marisa Peñaloza, NPR, 24 Aug. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Scant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scant. Accessed 29 Aug. 2025.

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