Synonyms

scarcely

American

[skairs-lee] / ˈskɛərs li /

adverb

barely; hardly; not quite.

The light is so dim we can scarcely see.
definitely not.

This is scarcely the time to raise such questions.
probably not.

You could scarcely have chosen better.

scarcely British

/ ˈskɛəslɪ /

adverb

hardly at all; only just
ironic probably not or definitely not

that is scarcely justification for your actions

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

See hardly.

Related Words

See hardly.

Etymology

Origin of scarcely

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English; scarce, -ly

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Yet A House of Dynamite could scarcely be timelier.

From Slate • Mar. 13, 2026

Like Mr. McElwee, the experimental filmmaker Barbara Hammer scarcely ever seemed to put the camera down.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026

They were so good for the entirety of the first half that you could scarcely see a way back for Celtic.

From BBC • Mar. 1, 2026

His large band, squeezed onto a stage scarcely longer than two kayaks laid end to end, is composed almost entirely of Haitian preachers’ kids raised in the country’s gospel tradition.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 25, 2026

‘Why were they called Soul-Eaters?’ he asked, scarcely moving his lips.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023