scarce

1 of 2

adjective

ˈskers 

scarcer; scarcest

1

: deficient in quantity or number compared with the demand : not plentiful or abundant

2

: intentionally absent

made himself scarce at inspection time

scarceness noun

scarce

2 of 2

adverb

: scarcely, hardly

Scarce was independence half a century old, when a … split occurred …

—John McPhee

Synonyms of scarce

Adjective

• sparse
• poor

Choose the Right Synonym for scarce

infrequent, uncommon, scarce, rare, sporadic mean not common or abundant.

infrequent implies occurrence at wide intervals in space or time.

infrequent family visits

uncommon suggests a frequency below normal expectation.

smallpox is now uncommon in many countries

scarce implies falling short of a standard or required abundance.

jobs were scarce during the Depression

rare suggests extreme scarcity or infrequency and often implies consequent high value.

rare first editions

sporadic implies occurrence in scattered instances or isolated outbursts.

sporadic cases of influenza

Examples of scarce in a Sentence

Adjective

Food was getting scarce during the drought.

food was a bit scarce last winter

Adverb

I could scarce believe what I was hearing.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

But questions remain about the combat readiness of other platforms, like the long-range S-300 surface-to-air missile systems bought by Venezuela years ago that have been notably scarce in government media and drills in recent weeks. —Avery Schmitz, CNN Money, 27 Nov. 2025

Losing Petit is especially significant given that offensive skill talent has been scarce for the Badgers. —Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025

In northern Sweden’s Arctic light, Boden’s cold climate means fresh produce is scarce. —Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 27 Nov. 2025

There is some research suggesting that cinnamon or brown sugar may help certain health conditions, but the evidence is scarce, and these claims have not been verified. —Heidi Moawad, Verywell Health, 26 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English scars, from Anglo-French eschars, escars narrow, stingy, deficient, from Vulgar Latin *excarpsus, literally, plucked out, past participle of Latin excerpere to pluck out — more at excerpt

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing scarce

• make oneself scarce

Kids Definition

scarce

adjective

ˈske(ə)rs, 

ˈska(ə)rs

scarcer; scarcest

: lacking in quantity or number : not plentiful

food is scarce

scarceness noun