scanty
Not nearly sufficient
Scanty means barely sufficient or inadequate in amount, size, or extent.
A scanty harvest disappoints farmers; scanty evidence fails to convince.
The word often describes clothing that reveals more than it covers: a scanty bikini.
Scanty implies not just smallness but insufficiency—falling short of what's needed or expected.
Not sufficient for purpose
- deficientHaving too little
- lackingBeing without something
- meagerDeficient in quantity
- paltryContemptibly meager
sparse · scarce · limited · wanting · short · poor · slight · insubstantial
Inadequate in size or amount
- briefShort in duration
- minimalSmallest amount needed
- exposedOut in open
- immodestLacking proper restraint
low-cut · short · tight · provocative · risqué · abbreviated · truncated · tiny
Spread irregularly about
- patchyIrregular in coverage
- spottyIrregular and unreliable
- sporadicOccurring irregularly, infrequently
- infrequentHappening only occasionally
thin · few · rare · discontinuous · uneven · fragmented · intermittent · dispersed
inadequate
Not sufficient for purpose
paltry · sparse · scarce · limited · wanting · short · poor · slight · insubstantial · depleted
thin
Small in diameter
shabby · ragged · sparse · poor · frayed · tattered · bare · wispy · gauzy · insubstantial
skimpy
Inadequate in size or amount
immodest · low-cut · short · tight · provocative · risqué · abbreviated · truncated · tiny · bare
scattered
Spread irregularly about
- patchyIrregular in coverage
- spottyIrregular and unreliable
- sporadicOccurring irregularly, infrequently
infrequent · thin · few · rare · discontinuous · uneven · fragmented · intermittent · dispersed · sprinkled
scantyample
Fully sufficient, even excessive
comprehensive · full · extensive · generous · substantial
- scantily cladWearing minimal attire
scant, scantily, scantly, scantiness, scanties, scantness, scantier, scantiest, descants