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.
When Harry Brook won his third successive toss of the series, he could have scarcely imagined the start his two openers were going to put together.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
And yet they emerge with constitutional visions that could scarcely be further apart.
From Slate ● Jul. 2, 2026
Treasurys by internationals have scarcely fallen, while those of foreign private holdings have actually grown.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 26, 2026
Since then, several more events have soured the relationship between the U.S. and its allies to the point where they are scarcely allies at all.
From Salon ● Jun. 18, 2026
His only reservation related to length: “All the columns of a large Gazette would scarcely, I conceive, contain the present draft,” Washington noted, adding at the end, “I may be mistaken.”
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
