SCARCE Synonyms: 98 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'scarce' distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of scarce are infrequent , rare , sporadic , and uncommon . While all these words mean "not common or abundant," scarce implies falling short of a standard or required abundance. // jobs were scarce during the Depression

Q: When might 'infrequent' be a better fit than 'scarce'?

In some situations, the words infrequent and scarce are roughly equivalent. However, infrequent implies occurrence at wide intervals in space or time. // infrequent family visits

Q: In what contexts can 'rare' take the place of 'scarce'?

The meanings of rare and scarce largely overlap; however, rare suggests extreme scarcity or infrequency and often implies consequent high value. // rare first editions

Q: When is it sensible to use 'sporadic' instead of 'scarce'?

While the synonyms sporadic and scarce are close in meaning, sporadic implies occurrence in scattered instances or isolated outbursts. // sporadic cases of influenza

Q: When would 'uncommon' be a good substitute for 'scarce'?

While in some cases nearly identical to scarce , uncommon suggests a frequency below normal expectation. // smallpox is now uncommon in many countries

scarce

adjective

ˈskers

Definition of scarce

as in sparse

less plentiful than what is normal, necessary, or desirable food was a bit scarce last winter

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in lacking

not coming up to an expected measure or meeting a particular need help is always scarce in the resort town during the busy summer season

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word scarce distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of scarce are infrequent, rare, sporadic, and uncommon. While all these words mean "not common or abundant," scarce implies falling short of a standard or required abundance.

jobs were scarce during the Depression

When might infrequent be a better fit than scarce?

In some situations, the words infrequent and scarce are roughly equivalent. However, infrequent implies occurrence at wide intervals in space or time.

infrequent family visits

In what contexts can rare take the place of scarce?

The meanings of rare and scarce largely overlap; however, rare suggests extreme scarcity or infrequency and often implies consequent high value.

rare first editions

When is it sensible to use sporadic instead of scarce?

While the synonyms sporadic and scarce are close in meaning, sporadic implies occurrence in scattered instances or isolated outbursts.

sporadic cases of influenza

When would uncommon be a good substitute for scarce?

While in some cases nearly identical to scarce, uncommon suggests a frequency below normal expectation.

smallpox is now uncommon in many countries

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of scarce Recent attacks on infrastructure have left civilians with scarce food, fuel, water, health services and transportation, Türk's office has said. — ABC News, 3 July 2026 Fans recommend the film to one another when hope feels scarce, passing along its core conviction that society survives through connection rather than conquest. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 3 July 2026 With July Fourth weekend, California and other Western states are heading into the beginning of peak fire season — when rain is scarce and temperatures are high. — Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 3 July 2026 When prey becomes scarce or shifts to deeper or cooler waters, predators must travel farther and expend more energy to find food. — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for scarce

Recent Examples of Synonyms for scarce

Adjective

Traffic through the strait has been sparse since March but showed slight recovery during the roughly three weeks that a ceasefire lasted between the United States and Iran.

— Erin Mansfield, USA Today, 15 July 2026
She’s represented here by a woman dematerializing headfirst, seemingly outlived only by her pendulous breasts, and a sparse landscape where a spectral figure peeks up from the bottom edge.

— Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 15 July 2026

Definition of sparse

Adjective

Despite severely lacking resources, the monuments men and women were able to find and retrieve more than five million items, many of them artworks that had been stolen by the Axis forces.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 July 2026
Furthermore, beware of any ancestral diet that is completely lacking in particular nutrients and the foods that bring them such as grains that bring fiber and different vitamins and minerals.

— Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026

Definition of lacking

Adjective

Prolonged exposure to heat can lead to insufficient or poor sleep, compromising the immune system, increasing the risk for cardiovascular disease and diminishing cognitive performance.

— Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026
On top of this, subterranean drip systems often clog with mineral deposits, sediment, and algae, which Nad warns may eventually require repairs or replacement of portions of the system, particularly in areas with hard water or poor filtration.

— Kamron Sanders, The Spruce, 13 July 2026

Definition of poor

Adjective

Conversely, there are moments throughout Pompeii where the trail goes cold due to insufficient documentation from 2,000 years ago, frustrating Hiddleston in the process.

— Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 16 July 2026
When controlling for traditional predictors of mortality, only smoking showed a stronger association with life expectancy than insufficient sleep.

— Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026

Definition of insufficient

Adjective

Wall Street looked past geopolitics even as oil prices climbed on the back of lower-than-expected inflation figures that sent tech stocks higher.

— Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 15 July 2026
The results were consistent across most states lower rates of sleep insufficiency were associated with longer life expectancy.

— Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026

Definition of low

Adjective

Boating accidents are a regular occurrence in the Southeast Asian nation, where extreme weather, frequent flooding and inadequate maintenance have led to tragedies.

— CBS News, CBS News, 13 July 2026
Experts say the high death toll may reflect factors common to past entertainment venue fires, including inadequate safety measures.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 July 2026

Definition of inadequate

Browse Nearby Words

scaramouches

scarce

scarcely

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“Scarce.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scarce. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of scarce

adjective

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