What does scanty mean?
Scanty means small or insufficient in quantity, often to the point of being barely enough for a need. It is commonly used of evidence, resources, information, rainfall, vegetation, clothing, or hair. Unlike a word such as scarce, which emphasizes limited availability, scanty usually focuses on the small size of an amount and frequently suggests that it may be inadequate. The adjective is formal but widely understood in British and American English, and it can range from neutral description to criticism depending on context. Its relatives include the adverb scantily and the noun scantiness. Although the word may sound old-fashioned to some modern speakers, it remains useful because it conveys both smallness and potential insufficiency in a single term.
adjectiveExisting or available in small or insufficient quantity; barely enough.
- Small or insufficient in quantity; barely enough.
"The investigators had only scanty evidence to support their theory."
"With scanty evidence, the team rewrote its plan for the final stage."
"Only a scanty handful of visitors reached the remote valley that morning."
Scanty quietly means “barely enough,” while carrying a Latin reminder that it belongs to the family of words built on scandere, “to examine.”
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of scanty
Scanty developed in early modern English from scant, an earlier word meaning “not plentiful” or “hardly enough.” Scant came through Old French scans from Latin scans, a form related to scandere, the Latin root behind words such as scan and scansion. The English adjective scanty was formed in the early 17th century with the suffix -y, and its meaning developed into the modern sense of being small or insufficient in quantity.
Related word forms
How scanty is actually used
The word is formal in tone and often implies that the available quantity is inadequate for a particular purpose. It can be neutrally descriptive, as in “scanty rainfall,” but may sound critical when applied to clothing, food, or personal appearance.