scantly
|scant-ly|
🇺🇸
/ˈskæntli/
🇬🇧
/ˈskɑːntli/
barely; limited amount
Etymology
'scant' originates from Old Norse, specifically the word 'skamt', where 'skamt' meant 'short' or 'limited'.
'scant' changed from the Old Norse word 'skamt' into Middle English as 'scant' and eventually produced the adverbial form 'scantly' in modern English.
Initially, it meant 'short' or 'limited', but over time it evolved into its current sense of 'insufficient, barely adequate' and the adverb 'scantly' meaning 'to a small extent'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adverb 1
to a small degree; barely or only just.
He was scantly dressed for the cold.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Adverb 2
in small amounts or numbers; sparsely.
The region was scantly populated after the factory closed.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/15 04:40