scarce

adjective

\ ˈskers

scarcer; scarcest

Definition of scarce

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

2 : intentionally absent made himself scarce at inspection time

scarce

adverb

Definition of scarce (Entry 2 of 2)

: scarcely, hardly scarce was independence half a century old, when a … split occurred— John McPhee

Other Words from scarce Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about scarce

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Choose the Right Synonym for scarce

Adjective

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

Both teams have excellent starting pitching staffs so runs figure to be scarce early. — Steve Gardner, USA TODAY, "Simulated All-Star Game: Matt Chapman propels American League to walk-off win," 9 July 2019 Headlines and searing images made public in past days and weeks have served as a stark reminder for Americans far from the border of a crisis for which solutions seem scarce: An immigrant father and daughter drowned in the Rio Grande. — Author: Elliot Spagat, Anchorage Daily News, "Jarring images of border cells surface ahead of July 4," 4 July 2019 Headlines and searing images made public in past days and weeks have served as a stark reminder for Americans far from the border of a crisis for which solutions seem scarce: An immigrant father and daughter drowned in the Rio Grande. — Washington Post, "Jarring images of border cells surface ahead of July 4," 3 July 2019 Cheap, abundant parking will encourage more people to drive, while scarce, expensive parking will nudge them onto public transit and bicycles, or prod them to walk. — Rachel Swan, SFChronicle.com, "How to get to the A’s proposed ballpark? Oakland council anxiously counts the ways," 3 July 2019 Booming growth along Colorado’s semi-arid Front Range has led to cities buying farms to take control of rights to withdraw scarce water from the river, a relatively feeble source given the magnitude of urban, industrial and agricultural development. — Bruce Finley, The Denver Post, "Big new reservoirs planned northeast of Denver would divert more of South Platte’s Nebraska-bound water to thirsty metro suburbs," 30 June 2019 At stake is its billion-dollar brand, which depends on keeping its products scarce. — Khadeeja Safdar, WSJ, "How Supreme Got Pulled Into a Fight for Its Billion-Dollar Brand," 28 June 2019 Davidson’s extensive collection also includes scarce editions of many of Orwell’s other books, essays and journalistic writings. — USA TODAY, "Whiskey webs, alien abductions, goldfish invasion: News from around our 50 states," 25 June 2019 Photo: WSJ Digital Cash By Finn Brunton Princeton, 255 pages, $26.95 Mr. Brunton, a professor in the Department of Media, Culture and Communication at New York University, begins his story in the Great Depression, a time of scarce cash. — Philip Delves Broughton, WSJ, "‘Digital Cash’ Review: Bitcoin and Beyond," 23 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'scarce.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.