adverb
-
hardly at all; only just
-
ironic probably not or definitely not
that is scarcely justification for your actions
Usage
See hardly.
Synonym Usage
See hardly.
Etymology
Origin of scarcely
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English; see origin at scarce, -ly
Explanation
Scarcely means just before, hardly, or “almost not.” If you had scarcely made it to bed when the sun started to rise, you are probably pretty tired by now. Scarcely may have just made it in the nick of time and by the skin of its teeth, but it’s here now, even if it is just barely hanging on — which means you can scarcely accuse it of not showing up. Though an ly adverb, scarcely is unusual in that it is not so much a descriptor of its root adjective as a synonym of the adverb form scarce. If you scarcely believe me, look it up for yourself!
Vocabulary lists containing scarcely
"Because I Could Not Stop for Death" by Emily Dickinson
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The Monroe Doctrine (1823)
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Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
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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 together they produce something earlier generations of police officers could scarcely imagine, which is a detailed reconstruction of an individual’s life.
From Slate • Jun. 29, 2026
Recalling the moment she learned the poem had appeared on the exam paper, Cullen - the Meskell Poet in Residence at the University of Limerick - said she could scarcely believe it.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
The Declaration’s assertion of equality proved not a static inheritance but a generative one, repeatedly redeployed in causes the Founders themselves could scarcely have imagined.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
As a result of these imports, Denyer notes that much of the capex bonanza is scarcely benefiting U.S.
From MarketWatch • May 8, 2026
Penelope scarcely slept at all, for her mind was whirring with all that had happened, and she wondered how all the pieces of this strange puzzle might fit together.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
