English Meaning & Definitions
Almost not; hardly; barely.
- “She could scarcely believe her eyes when she saw the prize.”
- “There was scarcely enough food to feed all the guests.”
Only a very short time before; just.
- “They had scarcely arrived home when the storm broke.”
- “He had scarcely finished his speech before the applause began.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “scarcely”.
Derived from Middle English 'scarsly', from 'scars' (meaning scarce, meager), originating from Old Northern French 'scars' and ultimately from Late Latin 'excerptus' or Germanic roots meaning to pluck or clip.
Think of 'scarce' (rare or hard to find) and add the adverb ending '-ly' to mean 'hardly' or 'barely'.
Frequently Asked Questions About “scarcely”
1. What is the meaning of “scarcely” in English?
In English, scarcely (adverb) is defined as: “Almost not; hardly; barely.”.
2. How do you use “scarcely” in a sentence?
“She could scarcely believe her eyes when she saw the prize.”
3. What are English synonyms of “scarcely”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “scarcely”?
Derived from Middle English 'scarsly', from 'scars' (meaning scarce, meager), originating from Old Northern French 'scars' and ultimately from Late Latin 'excerptus' or Germanic roots meaning to pluck or clip.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.