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scarce

adjective
\ ˈskers How to pronounce scarce (audio) \
scarcer; scarcest

Definition of scarce

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1 : deficient in quantity or number compared with the demand : not plentiful or abundant
2 : intentionally absent made himself scarce at inspection time

scarce

adverb

Definition of scarce (Entry 2 of 2)

: scarcely, hardly scarce was independence half a century old, when a … split occurred— John McPhee
Other Words from scarce Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about scarce

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Other Words from scarce

Adjective

scarceness noun

Choose the Right Synonym for scarce

Adjective

infrequent, uncommon, scarce, rare, sporadic mean not common or abundant. infrequent implies occurrence at wide intervals in space or time. infrequent family visits uncommon suggests a frequency below normal expectation. smallpox is now uncommon in many countries scarce implies falling short of a standard or required abundance. jobs were scarce during the Depression rare suggests extreme scarcity or infrequency and often implies consequent high value. rare first editions sporadic implies occurrence in scattered instances or isolated outbursts. sporadic cases of influenza

Examples of scarce in a Sentence

Adjective

 Food was getting scarce during the drought. food was a bit scarce last winter

Adverb

 I could scarce believe what I was hearing.
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Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

 Put simply, developers — burdened by high land costs, local regulations and scarce labor — are building far fewer new homes. — Louis Hansen, The Mercury News, "Endangered Bay Area species: the new home," 1 Sep. 2019 And some of the scarce remaining time will be filled with the centuries-old rituals that attend the reopening of Parliament—waste camouflaged by ceremonial frippery. — Amy Davidson Sorkin, The New Yorker, "Boris Johnson’s Parliamentary Runaround," 30 Aug. 2019 Intensive farms soak up scarce water and fly their produce around the world in aeroplanes that spew out carbon dioxide. — The Economist, "The foody benefits of farming vertically," 29 Aug. 2019 The recording shows workers using heavy machinery to dig into the ground, and a massive well nearby pumping scarce groundwater for use in mixing cement to hold the six-inch-wide bollards that compose the wall. — Stefan Becket, CBS News, "Construction begins on 30-foot border wall in fragile Arizona desert," 29 Aug. 2019 One of the most exciting trends approaching this model of learning today can be seen in training providers like General Assembly, which offer short courses in scarce technology skills like data science. — Fortune, "How Learning Can Catch Up With Technological Change," 27 Aug. 2019 However, the military presence in the area seemed scarce on Monday, with only a few soldiers seen patrolling roads and lending a hand. — chicagotribune.com, "Brazil rejects G-7′s financial aid to help fight Amazon fires, equating the issue to colonialism and demanding apology from French president," 27 Aug. 2019 However, the military presence in the area seemed scarce on Monday, with only a few soldiers seen patrolling roads and lending a hand. — Christopher Torchia, BostonGlobe.com, "Spurning Amazon aid, Brazil brings up Notre Dame fire," 27 Aug. 2019 Bangladesh, struggling with overpopulation and poverty, wants to reassure its citizens that scarce funds are not being diverted to refugees. — New York Times, "Massacred at Home, in Misery Abroad, 730,000 Rohingya Are Mired in Hopelessness," 22 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'scarce.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of scarce

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for scarce

Adjective

Middle English scars, from Anglo-French eschars, escars narrow, stingy, deficient, from Vulgar Latin *excarpsus, literally, plucked out, past participle of Latin excerpere to pluck out — more at excerpt

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More Definitions for scarce

scarce

adjective
How to pronounce scarce (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of scarce

 (Entry 1 of 2)

: very small in amount or number : not plentiful

scarce

adverb

English Language Learners Definition of scarce (Entry 2 of 2)

literary : almost not at all : scarcely or hardly

See the full definition for scarce in the English Language Learners Dictionary

scarce

adjective
\ ˈskers How to pronounce scarce (audio) \
scarcer; scarcest

Kids Definition of scarce

 (Entry 1 of 2)

: not plentiful Food was scarce during the war.

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