scarcely

Meanings

1. 1adverbnot comparable

   Only just, or hardly at all, used to say something is true to a very small degree.

   Grammar: Already negative, so avoid adding not: I can scarcely see, not I can't scarcely see.

   Patterns

   • scarcely any something
   • scarcely ever do something

   I could scarcely hear her over the noise.

   There was scarcely any food left in the fridge.

   He scarcely ever speaks at meetings.

2. 2adverbnot comparableformal

   Used in the pattern scarcely ... when to say that one thing happened almost immediately before another.

   Grammar: At the start of a sentence it triggers inversion: scarcely had she sat down when...

   Patterns

   • scarcely had someone done something when...

   Scarcely had we left when the rain began.

   She had scarcely closed her eyes when the alarm rang.

3. 3adverbnot comparableformal

   Used to suggest that something is certainly not the case, as a polite way of saying no.

   Grammar: Often with could or would to sound dry and understated.

   Patterns

   • can scarcely be something

   It can scarcely be a coincidence that both failed.

   One could scarcely blame him for leaving.

Common combinations

scarcely believe

I can scarcely believe it is over.

scarcely any

There is scarcely any milk left.

scarcely noticeable

The scar is scarcely noticeable.

scarcely ever

She scarcely ever complains.

scarcely had

Scarcely had he arrived when the meeting began.

Synonyms and how they differ

hardly

Hardly is more common in everyday speech and has the same meaning, while scarcely sounds slightly more formal.

barely

Barely stresses the narrow margin by which something happens, such as barely made it.

only just

Only just is a plain, spoken equivalent focused on a narrow margin.

rarely

Rarely is about frequency, not degree, so it is not a substitute for scarcely in I could scarcely see.

Opposites

Word family

scarce adjective

in short supply

scarcity noun

a shortage

scarceness noun

the state of being scarce, rarer than scarcity

Commonly confused: scarcely or scarcely and scarce?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “scarcely”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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