adverb B2 Upper-Intermediate Uncommon

scarcely

SKEH-uhs-lee

Scarcely (adverb) means Only just; barely. Example: “She had scarcely sat down when the phone rang.”

adverb

Only just; barely.

"She had scarcely sat down when the phone rang."

"He could scarcely believe the news."

How to use scarcely

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishBarely, hardly — just barely true or just barely happening.

Common mistake

Avoid doubling up with another negative, e.g. don't say "can't scarcely" — "can scarcely" is already negative in meaning.

Common pairings

scarcely believe scarcely ever scarcely a moment

more scarcely comparative, most scarcely superlative

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Can you complete this real example?

She had _____ sat down when the phone rang.

From Middle English scarcely, scarsly, scarsely, scarsliche, scarseliche, equivalent to scarce + -ly.

Origin: Middle English

hardly

just completely slightly hardly barely rarely very much

rely comely lonely timely lovely homely widely lively lately rarely barely likely

What does “scarcely” mean?

The word “scarcely” means only just; barely. In plain terms, barely, hardly — just barely true or just barely happening.

How do you pronounce “scarcely”?

“Scarcely” is pronounced SKEH-uhs-lee (/ˈskɛɹsli/ in IPA).

How do you use “scarcely” in a sentence?

Here is “scarcely” used in a sentence: “She had scarcely sat down when the phone rang.”

What is another word for “scarcely”?

Words with a similar meaning to “scarcely” include hardly.

What part of speech is “scarcely”?

“Scarcely” is an adverb.

Is “scarcely” a common word?

“Scarcely” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

just completely slightly hardly barely rarely very much