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

In the last decade, growth has been a scarce commodity outside of America.

From MarketWatch

During the first millennium BCE, pine forests were scarce in Denmark.

From Science Daily

Mental health services are scarce and often inaccessible for Palestinians.

From Los Angeles Times

Sudan often sees accidents involving traditional boats, which are commonly used to cross the Nile because bridges are scarce, particularly in rural areas.

From BBC

Evidence suggests that island residents were already coping with worsening drought conditions from the 16th century onward, a serious challenge on an island with scarce freshwater.

From Science Daily

Related Words

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