Synonyms of scarcely

scarcely

adverb

ˈskers-lē 

1

as in barely

by a very small margin

was scarcely able to walk after the near-fatal accident

Synonyms & Similar Words

• barely
• slightly
• just
• narrowly
• hardly
• almost
• marginally
• somewhat
• nearly
• minimally
• minutely
• by the skin of one's teeth
• approximately
• closely
• partly
• roughly
• scantly
• more or less
• plus or minus

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• substantially
• well
• significantly
• considerably
• quite
• easily
• vastly
• definitely
• plainly
• positively
• fully
• completely
• unquestionably
• greatly
• abundantly
• generously
• copiously

2

as in no

certainly not

I scarcely think that one person being sick is an "epidemic"

Synonyms & Similar Words

• no
• never
• hardly
• none
• nothing
• ill
• by no means
• nowhere
• nothing doing
• on no account
• noway
• nowise
• near

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• certainly
• surely
• completely
• absolutely
• definitely
• most
• quite
• very
• positively
• highly
• extremely
• exceedingly
• greatly
• clearly
• terribly
• really
• awfully
• enormously
• immensely
• plainly
• truly
• unquestionably
• mighty
• perfectly
• utterly
• rather
• somewhat
• doubtless
• slightly
• mostly
• hugely
• assuredly
• awful
• mightily
• more or less
• unequivocally
• hands down

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of scarcely

The great mystery of the Iran war is why that hasn’t happened—why, nearly five months later, oil prices have scarcely surpassed $100, even as countries around the world have been forced to dip into their oil reserves. — Rogé Karma, The Atlantic, 29 July 2026

The Secretary of Defense (now known as the Secretary of War) proposes a nuclear strike as a precautionary response, but the team decides that nuclear annihilation is scarcely preferable to a new pandemic. — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 25 July 2026

Funerals were scarcely allowed in occupied Bershad, and public prayers for the dead were virtually impossible, said Shternshis. — Shira Li Bartov, Sun Sentinel, 20 July 2026

Surrounded by concerned medics and supporters in Delhi, 59-year-old Sonam Wangchuk entered the 20th day of his hunger strike, scarcely able to move unaided. — Will Barker, TheWeek, 17 July 2026