scarce

American  

[skairs] / skɛərs /

adjective

scarcer, scarcest

1. insufficient to satisfy the need or demand; not abundant.

   Meat and butter were scarce during the war.

   Synonyms:

   deficient

   Antonyms:

   abundant

2. seldom met with; rare.

   a scarce book.

   Synonyms:

   infrequent, uncommon

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adverb

1. scarcely.

idioms

1. make oneself scarce,

   1. to depart, especially suddenly.

   2. to stay away; avoid.

scarce British  

/ skɛəs /

adjective

1. rarely encountered

2. insufficient to meet the demand

3. informal to go away, esp suddenly

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adverb

1. archaic scarcely

scarce More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing scarce

• make oneself scarce

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Other Word Forms

• scarceness noun
• unscarce adjective
• unscarcely adverb
• unscarceness noun

Etymology

Origin of scarce

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English scars, from Old North French (e)scars, from Vulgar Latin excarpsus (unrecorded) “plucked out,” from Latin excerptus; excerpt

Example Sentences

The U.S. has also this week launched military actions in Ecuador, though details are scarce.

From Salon

The U.S. can choose to build more weapons with long-term contracts, bulk ordering scarce parts, and co-production with allies.

From The Wall Street Journal

Food and water soon became scarce, thirst and hunger a commonplace, with nauseating odors emanating from the toilets.

From The Wall Street Journal

"Data on soils in extreme ecosystems such as the Atacama Desert is still scarce."

From Science Daily

Meanwhile, foreign visitors, who spend multiples of what domestic travelers do on food and lodging, have been scarce, according to International Trade Administration data.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• deficient
• limited
• rare
• scant
• scanty
• sparse
• sporadic