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; see excerpt

Explanation

If something is scarce, there isn't much of it around. Crops are scarce after a long drought, or you might find babysitters scarce if your kids are a nightmare to watch. Scarce, meaning “restricted in quantity,” can oddly be traced back to the same Latin word that spawned the word "excerpt." Use the word scarce when you want to say that something is hard to find or practically missing. When you know you’re about to be asked to do something unpleasant, like wash the dishes or take out the trash, go ahead and “make yourself scarce,” which means to be elusive or get out of there fast.

Example Sentences

Thus far, Mark Zuckerberg’s name is conspicuously scarce on our lists despite the success of Facebook and Instagram.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 25, 2026

Fertilizer prices have increased dramatically since the start of the war, as the nitrogen and phosphorus needed to produce fertilizer passing through the strait has become scarce.

From Salon • Apr. 25, 2026

Later, with the news of Hitler’s demise, she sinks into a depression, refusing food unless it’s white bread, butter and honey, all in scarce supply.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026

Official figures on the prison population in Equatorial Guinea are scarce and often out of date.

From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026

They always know when you need them too much and pick precisely that season to make themselves scarce.

From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson

Related Words

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