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

There was a scarcely believable 5-4 victory over Lyon in the Europa League quarter-final thanks to two goals in stoppage time in extra time. —Michael Cox, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026

If the logic of Cowichan is upheld, there is scarcely a landholding in British Columbia—or much of the rest of Canada—for which ownership is secure. —David Frum, The Atlantic, 27 Dec. 2025

At the moment, former Congresswoman Katie Porter is leading the Democratic pack, albeit with scarcely double-digit support in the polls. —Dan Walters, Mercury News, 23 Dec. 2025

Aside from the tracklist, the releases offered scarcely any information at all. —Emma Madden, Pitchfork, 21 Dec. 2025

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