scarce

1 of 2

adjective

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

scarce

2 of 2

adverb

: scarcely, hardly
scarce was independence half a century old, when a … split occurredJohn McPhee
Choose the Right Synonym for scarce

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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Black bears are also blessed with the ability to hibernate during the winter months when food might be scarce. Scott Travers, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2024 Worse, young turtles hatch at night, when predators are scarce. Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Oct. 2024 Although evidence of ancient burrows can be scarce, many scientists argue that burrows provided an evolutionary advantage. Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 24 Oct. 2024 Keep in mind that deer and rodents are unpredictable and will eat almost anything when food is scarce. Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for scarce 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scarce.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of scarce was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near scarce

Cite this Entry

“Scarce.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scarce. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

scarce

adjective
ˈske(ə)rs,
ˈska(ə)rs
scarcer; scarcest
: lacking in quantity or number : not plentiful
food is scarce
scarceness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on scarce

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