Synonyms of scantiness

scantiness 1 of 2

noun

as in shortage

a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number

the scantiness of grass meant that we had to feed the cows extra hay

Synonyms & Similar Words

• shortage
• lack
• deficiency
• scarcity
• paucity
• absence
• insufficiency
• inadequacy
• deficit
• drouth
• poverty
• famine
• drought
• dearth
• scarceness
• inadequateness
• lacuna
• failure
• undersupply
• crunch
• pinch
• omission
• want
• necessity
• meagerness
• privation
• skimpiness
• poorness
• need

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• abundance
• sufficiency
• adequacy
• amplitude
• wealth
• plenty
• opulence
• plenitude
• excess
• surplus
• copiousness
• bountifulness
• overabundance
• surfeit
• oversupply

scanty

2 of 2

adjective

ˈskan-tē 

as in sparse

less plentiful than what is normal, necessary, or desirable

the camera's scanty instructions left me somewhat confused

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sparse
• scarce
• scant
• meagre
• meager
• poor
• skimpy
• lacking
• insufficient
• exiguous
• slender
• lowest
• light
• stingy
• inadequate
• sparing
• small
• spare
• short
• hand-to-mouth
• mere
• slim
• deficient
• minimal
• thin on the ground
• skimp
• thin
• least
• wanting
• slightest
• bare-bones
• sterile
• littlest
• bare
• slight
• unfruitful
• barren
• unproductive
• infertile

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ample
• abundant
• adequate
• sufficient
• copious
• plentiful
• satisfactory
• generous
• bountiful
• enough
• liberal
• rich
• fertile
• tolerable
• fruitful
• plenteous
• fat
• prolific
• lavish
• luxuriant
• extra
• bursting
• fecund
• excess
• flourishing
• surplus
• thriving
• proliferative
• teeming
• blooming
• swarming

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective scanty differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of scanty are meager, scant, skimpy, spare, and sparse. While all these words mean "falling short of what is normal, necessary, or desirable," scanty stresses insufficiency in amount, quantity, or extent.

supplies too scanty to last the winter

When is it sensible to use meager instead of scanty?

The synonyms meager and scanty are sometimes interchangeable, but meager implies the absence of elements, qualities, or numbers necessary to a thing's richness, substance, or potency.

a meager portion of meat

Where would scant be a reasonable alternative to scanty?

In some situations, the words scant and scanty are roughly equivalent. However, 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 could skimpy be used to replace scanty?

The words skimpy and scanty can be used in similar contexts, but skimpy usually suggests niggardliness or penury as the cause of the deficiency.

tacky housing developments on skimpy lots

When can spare be used instead of scanty?

The words spare and scanty are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, spare may suggest a slight falling short of adequacy or merely an absence of superfluity.

a spare, concise style of writing

When would sparse be a good substitute for scanty?

Although the words sparse and scanty have much in common, sparse implies a thin scattering of units.

a sparse population

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of scantiness

Adjective

Japanese edible chrysanthemum: Data is scanty on other species that are also commonly called daisies, but one with daisylike flowers is definitely edible: Japanese edible chrysanthemum, a.k.a., shungiku or tong ho. —Pam Peirce, SFChronicle.com, 7 Feb. 2020

In the sunshine outside a large convention center in the southern Spanish city of Estepona, some very fit-looking people in scanty clothing applied fake tans and rehearsed statuesque poses. —Washington Post, 16 Nov. 2019

Falling production This year has been the first in nearly a century when India’s overall monsoon rainfall has exceeded its average levels despite a scanty start to the season in June. —Kuwar Singh, Quartz India, 3 Oct. 2019

The Associated Press has not verified who caused the woman’s injury, and photographic evidence has been scanty. —Washington Post, 13 Aug. 2019