scarce

1 of 2

adjective

scarcer; scarcest
1
: deficient in quantity or number compared with the demand : not plentiful or abundant
2
: intentionally absent
made himself scarce at inspection time
scarceness noun

scarce

2 of 2

adverb

: scarcely, hardly
scarce was independence half a century old, when a … split occurredJohn McPhee
Choose the Right Synonym for scarce

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
And now, though details are scarce, it’s believed Origins will finally tell the story of young Ghost and Tommy. Damien Scott, Billboard, 13 Mar. 2024 Cabbage is just the latest celebrity in a family of hardy crucifers that help chefs and diners through the colder months when local produce is scarce. Kim Severson, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2024 Here's why land in Phoenix is scarce for the growers The key is sharing knowledge Joseluis Miguel Ortiz y Muniz from New Mexico’s Greenroots Institute, and Audra Christophel with the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, sat next to Curry at one of the panels. The Arizona Republic, 9 Mar. 2024 That’s in part because publicly available data about rental properties is scarce — something some state lawmakers have tried, but failed, to remedy in the past. Calmatters, Orange County Register, 7 Mar. 2024 Details on the dating show are scarce, but Dr. Phil McGraw teased the series to Entertainment Tonight. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 6 Mar. 2024 Read More: Bumble Bees Like To Play Just For Fun That said, little is known about the amusements of prehistoric people, since evidence is scarce. Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 5 Mar. 2024 Plot details are scarce for the new season, aside from the fact it is known the three main characters will make a trip to Los Angeles before returning to New York. Joe Otterson, Variety, 4 Mar. 2024 Access to food, safe water, electricity and medical care is scarce; malnutrition is rising sharply. Sarah Ferguson, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scarce.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English scars, from Anglo-French eschars, escars narrow, stingy, deficient, from Vulgar Latin *excarpsus, literally, plucked out, past participle of Latin excerpere to pluck out — more at excerpt

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of scarce was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near scarce

Cite this Entry

“Scarce.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scarce. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

scarce

adjective
ˈske(ə)rs,
ˈska(ə)rs
scarcer; scarcest
: lacking in quantity or number : not plentiful
food is scarce
scarceness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on scarce

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!