by a small margin; " they could barely hear the speaker"; " we hardly knew them"; " just missed being hit"; " had scarcely rung the bell when the door flew open"; " would have scarce arrived before she would have found some excuse to leave"- W. B. Yeats

not enough; hard to find; " meat was scarce during the war"

deficient in quantity or number compared with the demand; " fresh vegetables were scarce during the drought"

Not plentiful or abundant; in small quantity in proportion to the demand; not easily to be procured; rare; uncommon.

Sparing; frugal; parsimonious; stingy.

Alt. of Scarcely

Scantily supplied ( with); deficient ( in); - with of.

Not plentiful: not equal to the demand: rare: not common.

SCARCELY, ( B.) SCARCE.

SCARCENESS.

Scarceness, scarcity.

Scant.

Not plentiful; rare; deficient.

Hardly; with difficulty.

In small quantity compared to the demand; not common; few in number, and scattered; not often found or met with.

" I scarce know," he replied. – The Sea-Hawk by Raphael Sabatini

" You scarce know what you promise," he said. – The Panchronicon by Harold Steele Mackaye

I can scarce believe that it is I who write. – A Fool There Was by Porter Emerson Browne

And come at a bad moment, when money's scarce. – The Fourth Series Plays, Complete by John Galsworthy

I followed in an agony scarce less than her own; but she repelled me with her hands, uttering piercing shrieks. – The Lamplighter by Maria S. Cummins

Cow hands are scarce, and I don't aim to lose one except in the line of business. – The Killer by Stewart Edward White

Provisions began to be scarce in Gebal, and the governor writes to Egypt for corn. – Patriarchal Palestine by Archibald Henry Sayce

As in a dream, I see thee here, and scarce believe mine eyes. – The Works Of John Dryden, Vol. 7 (of 18) The Duke of Guise; Albion and Albanius; Don Sebastian by John Dryden

The next few days were busy enough, and I scarce rested by night or day. – Francezka by Molly Elliot Seawell

Good pearls are scarce and dear, and Silas Filey is on the look out for some." – The Second String by Nat Gould

And now, to conclude, Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn in no other, and scarce in that; for it is true, We may give advice, but we cannot give conduct, as Poor Richard says. – One Thousand Secrets of Wise and Rich Men Revealed by C. A. Bogardus

Scarce a house or hut in the colony escaped the flames. – An Historical Account Of The Rise And Progress Of The Colonies Of South Carolina And Georgia, Volume 1 by Alexander Hewatt

But even there they are very scarce." – The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting

Scarce a day passed but he appeared in public as the woman's escort. – Ruggles of Red Gap by Harry Leon Wilson

Quite upset at finding his friend so wasted, with his face white like a sheet, and scarce a sign of life save the sparkle of his innocent, loving eyes, Pierre responded: " But I would have come sooner if I had known you were in need of me! – Paris From the "Three Cities" by Emile Zola

Scarce anybody has come in yet. – The Virginians by William Makepeace Thackeray

He is a young fellow still, or what we call so, being scarce thirty years old. – The Virginians by William Makepeace Thackeray

Yea, said the wood- wife, else scarce had she been a friend to me. – The Water of the Wondrous Isles by William Morris

I can scarce see your form, but surely I have heard the voice of my boy;- my long absent boy. – Fort Lafayette or, Love and Secession by Benjamin Wood