doled out
Parceled out carefully
Doled out is the past tense of dole out, meaning to distribute in small, often grudging portions.
The phrase carries connotations of scarcity or reluctance—resources doled out are typically limited and carefully measured: The government doled out emergency supplies, She doled out praise sparingly.
The underlying sense is of parceling something as if there isn't enough to go around.
- apportionedDivided and distributed proportionally
- giveTo transfer possession
- distributedDivided and given out
- rationedDivided into fixed shares
- ration cardsPermits for limited goods
meted · allocated · dealt · handed over · dispensed · parceled · assign · grudgingly · disbursement · served · share · meager · ladled · spooned · measured · allowance · stingily · welfare
- decentralizationdecentralized, distribute, spread, disperse, scatter
generosity of distribution
doled outlavished
Gave in excess
showered · heaped · poured out · splurged · squandered
out, outer, outing, outdoor, outlandish, dole, doleful, outs, outlay