scarcely

adverb

scarce·​ly ˈskers-lē 

1

a

: by a narrow margin : only just

… had scarcely rung the bell when the door flew open …

—Agnes S. Turnbull

b

: almost not

could scarcely see for the fog

2

a

: certainly not

could scarcely interfere

b

: probably not

… there could scarcely have been found a leader better equipped …

—V. L. Parrington

Synonyms of scarcely

• barely
• slightly
• just

Examples of scarcely in a Sentence

He could scarcely control his joy.

Scarcely a day goes by when they don't see or talk to each other.

He had scarcely enough money.

This is scarcely a time to laugh.

I could scarcely tell them they were wrong.

Recent Examples on the Web

Other criteria, like equity and sustainability, were scarcely considered at all. —Ryan Huling, Time, 7 May 2026

Amid the allegations of impropriety and conflicts of interest though, the program at George Mason University has scarcely been noticed. —Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica, 2 May 2026

The Opera House is scarcely five minutes from the hotel, as are the Albertine museum and the contemporary Heidi Horten Collection. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Apr. 2026

At the same time, the wealth of investors and executives has skyrocketed, with the taxman scarcely tapping these fortunes at all. —Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing scarcely

• hardly/scarcely than

Kids Definition

scarcely

adverb

scarce·​ly

ˈske(ə)rs-lē, 

ˈska(ə)rs-

1

: by a narrow margin : only just

had scarcely made the train in time

2

a

: certainly not

could scarcely tell them they were wrong

b

: probably not

could scarcely have chosen a better leader