scarce

Adjective · Adverb
US[skairs]/skɛrs/1 syllable
Synonyms: barelyhardlyjustscarcely

Open English WordNet

Adverb (2)

  1. only a very short time before“we hardly knew them”“had scarcely rung the bell when the door flew open”“would have scarce arrived before she would have found some excuse to leave — W.B.Yeats”Synonyms: barelyhardlyjustscarcely
  2. almost not“he hardly ever goes fishing”“he was scarce sixteen years old”“they scarcely ever used the emergency generator”“I can hardly hear what she is saying”“she barely seemed to notice him”“we were so far back in the theater we could barely read the subtitles”Synonyms: hardlyscarcelybarely

Adjective (1)scarcer, scarcest

  1. deficient in quantity or number compared with the demand“fresh vegetables were scarce during the drought”Opposite abundantSimilar rare, tightRelates to quantitySee also meager, meagre

Related words scarcity noun, scarceness noun

Word of the day · Oct 15About this word
exemplaryadjective

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Webster's Dictionary (1913)

Scarce (skârs), adjective [Compar. Scarcer (skâr′wb-a1′>′sẽr); superlative Scarcest.]

Origin: OE. scars, OF. escars, eschars, LL. scarpsus, excarpsus, for L. excerptus, p. p. of excerpere to pick out, and hence to contract, to shorten; ex (see Ex-) + carpere. See Carpet, and cf. Excerp.

1. Not plentiful or abundant; in small quantity in proportion to the demand; not easily to be procured; rare; uncommon.

You tell him silver is scarcer now in England, and therefore risen one fifth in value.— John Locke
The scarcest of all is a Pescennius Niger on a medallion well preserved.— Joseph Addison

2. Scantily supplied (with); deficient (in); — with of. obsolete “A region scarce of prey.” John Milton

3. Sparing; frugal; parsimonious; stingy. obsolete “Too scarce ne too sparing.” Geoffrey Chaucer

To make one's self scarce, to decamp; to depart. slang

Synonyms: Rare; infrequent; deficient. See Rare.

Scarce, Scarce′ly adverb

1. With difficulty; hardly; scantly; barely; but just.

With a scarce well-lighted flame.— John Milton
The eldest scarcely five year was of age.— Geoffrey Chaucer
Slowly she sails, and scarcely stems the tides.— John Dryden
He had scarcely finished, when the laborer arrived who had been sent for my ransom.— Washington Irving

2. Frugally; penuriously. obsolete Geoffrey Chaucer

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54

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