Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Extremely scanty, meager, or small in amount or extent: Describes something that is very limited, insufficient, or barely adequate in quantity, size, or degree.

Usage and Examples

• General Usage:
  • The refugees survived on an exiguous supply of food and water. (This describes a very small, barely sufficient amount.)
  • He conducted his research with exiguous resources, relying mostly on public archives. (This emphasizes the extreme scantiness of the available means.)
  • Only an exiguous number of tickets remained for the final show. (This indicates a very small, almost negligible quantity.)

Advanced Usage and Nuances

• Formal and Literary Context: "Exiguous" is a formal word, typically found in written English, academic texts, or literary descriptions. It is not common in everyday conversation.
  • The exiguous evidence presented was insufficient to secure a conviction.
• Often Implies Inadequacy: The word often carries a connotation that the small amount is insufficient for the purpose or need.
  • Their exiguous income made saving for the future impossible.

Variants and Related Words

• Exiguity (noun): The state or quality of being exiguous; meagerness.
  • The exiguity of the archaeological findings puzzled the researchers.

Synonyms

• Meager: Deficient in quantity or richness.
• Scanty: Barely sufficient or inadequate.
• Sparse: Thinly scattered or distributed.
• Paltry: Ridiculously or insultingly small.
• Inadequate: Not sufficient to meet a need.

Antonyms

• Abundant: Existing or available in large quantities.
• Ample: More than enough; plentiful.
• Copious: Abundant in supply or quantity.
• Lavish: Sumptuously rich, elaborate, or luxurious.

Adjective

1. extremely scanty
   • an exiguous budget