Scanty

The adjective scanty means smaller in size than expected, limited, or insufficient.

Synonyms are scarce, minimal, poor, or skimp.

The word origins from Scandinavian source such as Old Norse skamt, neuter of skammr meaning “short, brief”. In the 1650s it was used in the sense of “meager, barely sufficient for use” and in 1701 it was used as “too small, limited in scope”.

We have only scanty rice.

He will not win with that scanty number of votes.

The money we have today is scanty for the whole week’s expenses.