Synonyms for

Scarcely

Verb / ˈskersli: / Another word for scarcely — explore alternatives below. For syllable breakdowns and pronunciation, see this word on Syllablesworld.

Definition

Scarcely means almost not or hardly.

Synonyms & similar words

scarce just barely hardly barely hardly just little marginally meagerly merely minimally narrowly only scantily slightly sparsely

Synonyms by register

Formal

hardly barely seldom rarely

Informal

hardly ever not much just about

Literary

scantily meagerly

Antonyms

abundantly easily plentifully certainly definitely clearly generously

Common collocations

  • scarcely any
  • scarcely believable
  • scarcely a sound
  • scarcely known
  • scarcely visible
  • scarcely happened
  • scarcely enough

Word family

adverb scarcely

Usage note

Scarcely is an adverb meaning 'almost not at all' or 'hardly'. It is often used with 'any' or 'a' to emphasize a lack of something.

Example sentences

  1. I could scarcely hear him over the noise of the traffic.
  2. He had scarcely begun the race when he fell down.
  3. Scarcely a day goes by without her calling me.
  4. He was so hungry that he could scarcely wait for dinner.
  5. She could scarcely believe her eyes when she saw the surprise.

Quotes

  • Scarcely any degree of judgment is sufficient to restrain the imagination from magnifying that on which it is long detained.
  • We scarcely know how much of our pleasure and interest in life comes to us through our eyes until we have to do without them.
  • Scarcely a day passes that does not prove to me how little our minds are governed by reason.

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