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

These are the shabby, vertiginous streets that Nobel Laureate author Orhan Pamuk eulogized in The Museum of Innocence, set in the 1970s, and until very recently the district had scarcely changed at all. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026

The primary’s top outside fund-raiser, Matt Mahan, the mayor of San Jose, brought in fifteen million dollars, with support from Silicon Valley, and scarcely broke single digits in polls. —Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 1 June 2026

One can scarcely imagine Davis agreeing to a management interview with Forbes or lecturing executives about organizational leadership. —Bill Fischer, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026

The writing and the acting boldly flirt with cliche and caricature, which, as the show is about 100% pastiche, drawn from films more than three-quarters of a century old, could scarcely be avoided and isn’t really a problem. —Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 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