🥄 Not enough 👗 Very little covering

scantiness

8.8

A small amount of something that is not enough

noun
/ˈskæntɪnəs/

: escasez

He concludes that Guadaloupe will not grow the empire's or the colonies' economy because its "scantiness of territory" means that the population "cannot increase much beyond its present number."

Examples

Despite the scantiness of resources for the project, the team managed to complete it successfully.
"Some complain of the scantiness of their means, and allege that they have not enough for bringing up more children, as though, in truth, their means were in their power... or God did not daily make the rich poor and the poor rich.

Blog text (1)
The scantiness of fresh fruits and vegetables in the supermarket made it difficult to prepare healthy meals.
Many farmers are struggling due to the scantiness of rainfall this season, which has affected their crops.

Synonyms

inadequacy

vsscantiness

30 5.8

A lack of enough skill, quality, or amount to meet a need

focuses on simple low quantity rather than also lacking ability

shortness

vsscantiness

20 3.2

A lack of enough of something that is needed

is more about small amount or meagerness than any deficit in time

paucity

vsscantiness

Formal

7 8.6

A small amount of something that is not enough

is the broader word for general insufficiency rather than emphasis on lack

sparseness

vsscantiness

1 6.8

A small number or amount that is spread out

focuses on low amount overall rather than spatial distribution

meagerness

vsscantiness

1 7.0

A very small amount of something that is not enough

is the general state of insufficiency without stressing extreme smallness

scarceness

vsscantiness

1 7.2

A small amount of something that people need

focuses on insufficiency generally rather than on market or availability nuance

leanness

vsscantiness

1 4.4

A small amount of something that is not enough

is the neutral idea of insufficiency without physical thinness connotation

poorness

vsscantiness

1 5.3

A state of having low quality or too little of something

is limited to lack of amount rather than poor quality

sparsity

vsscantiness

1 7.6

A small number or amount spread far apart

refers to low total quantity without stressing spread or density

spareness

vsscantiness

1 8.1

A bare, simple style with very few details

is about insufficient amount broadly, not primarily visual bareness

thinness

vsscantiness

1 4.3

Not being full or dense, like a small crowd and a small number of hairs

refers to small overall quantity rather than spread or density

meagreness

vsscantiness

8.1

A very small amount of something that is not enough

expresses the same lack but in broader, less marked terms

scantness

vsscantiness

7.7

A small amount of something that is not enough

is the same general idea phrased as a wider concept

exiguity

vsscantiness

Formal

9.9

A very small amount that is not enough

is the common word for the same insufficiency without formality

inadequateness

vsscantiness

7.6

A lack of enough quality, amount or skill for a purpose

keeps to mere small quantity without judging suitability

fewness

vsscantiness

9.9

A small number of people or things

covers insufficient total quantity, not only low numbers

Antonyms

plenty

∞ 1.0

A large amount that is more than needed

abundance

91 3.3

A large amount of something, more than you need

How Scarce

scantiness

8.8

dearth

16 8.5

paucity

Formal

7 8.6

scarcity

29 4.4

shortage

253 2.7

Surface Forms

scantiness singular

scantinesses plural

Morphology

scantiness = scanty (transparent) = scanty + ness

Formed from the adjective 'scanty' with the productive noun-forming suffix '-ness' (orthographic y→i change), so the meaning 'state of being scanty' is directly recoverable.

Etymology

Scantiness comes from the adjective scant, which once meant 'short' or 'limited', like being 'short on' something. So scantiness is the quality of having very little of something or not enough.