meager: implies the absence of elements, qualities, or numbers necessary to a thing's richness, substance, or potency: a ~ portion of meat.


scant: stresses insufficiency in amount, quantity, or extent: supplies too ~ to last the winter.


scanty: suggests a falling short of what is desired or desirable rather than of what is essential: accorded the guests ~ welcome.     (失去本质导致根本改变即毁灭，如本质属性)


skimp: usually suggests niggardliness and penury as the cause of the deficiency: tacky house developments on ~ lots.   (tacky: of low quality or taste质量差品位差，如tacky clothes难看的衣服) (niggardly==penurious吝啬: spending or giving the smallest amount possible: gave his wife a niggardly household allowance给他妻子生活费少得可怜)


exiguous: implies a marked deficiency in number or measure that makes the thing described compare unfavorably with others of its kind: tried to function and thrive despite ~ resources.


spare: may suggest a slight falling short of adequacy or merely an absence of superfluity: a ~, concise style of writing.


sparse: implies a thin scattering of units: a ~ population.         (thin scattering of units分散分布)


meager稀薄: 缺少元素特点数量，不丰富充实有力(substance重要有价值)，scant不足: 强调数量或范围不足，scanty也是不足: 表示不够理想而不是本质缺失，skimpy吝惜: 指小气吝啬导致的不足，exiguous匮乏: 数量明显不足，和同类比不利，spare节约: 稍微不足或仅是不过量，sparse稀疏: 形容成员分散分布


记忆方法: 1) 首字母ME SSSSS:ME想成我，SSSSS想成五星<==缺少  

          2) 缺少的意思是比正常的必要的或希望的少mean falling short of what is normal, necessary, or desirable.首字母ME SSSSS:ME想成我，SSSSS想成五星<==缺少