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

The activity now seen actually serves as a further threat to competitive balance in a division where scarcely anyone stands a chance of winning the title in the first place. — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026

All four were victorious, their religious affiliations scarcely noted. — Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 12 Aug. 2026

But there’s something about the failures of The Last House that feel like an encapsulation of the state of American film in all its rudderless mediocrity in which humanity is scarcely explored and artistry is rarely found. — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2026

The legacy of Cold War innovation Not every secret Cold War project succeeded, but many reshaped military technology in ways their creators could scarcely have imagined. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 6 Aug. 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