scarcely

[ skairs-lee ]

/ ˈskɛərs li /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR scarcely ON THESAURUS.COM

adverb

barely; hardly; not quite: The light is so dim we can scarcely see.

definitely not: This is scarcely the time to raise such questions.

probably not: You could scarcely have chosen better.

Origin of scarcely

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at scarce, -ly

synonym study for scarcely

1. See hardly.

usage note for scarcely

1. See hardly.

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH scarcely

barely hardly scarcely (see synonym study at hardly)

Words nearby scarcely

scaramouch, scarborough, scarborough lily, scarce, scarce as hen's teeth, scarcely, scarcely ever, scarcement, scarcity, scare, scare out of one's wits

Example sentences from the Web for scarcely

And he scarcely bothered to hide his chief ambition: to lead his country as prime minister.

Boris Johnson’s Churchill Man Crush |Michael F. Bishop |November 22, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
And as he sees it they were scarcely more qualified than he was to lead a group of green soldiers into battle.

Corruption Eats Away at Ukraine Military |Charles McPhedran |October 21, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The Internet gives video on demand the kind of universal reach that revival houses could scarcely dream of.

David Vs. Goliath in the Age of Video on Demand |Teo Bugbee |September 25, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Law is weak in Iraq and scarcely exists apart from violence.

Bikers of Baghdad: Sunnis, Shias, Skulls, ‘Harleys,’ and Iraqi Flags |Jacob Siegel |July 20, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

The twenty-five-year-old Mitchum could scarcely believe his luck.

The Stacks: Mr. Bad Taste and Trouble Himself: Robert Mitchum |Robert Ward |July 19, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
I had scarcely reached the summit of the headland when I heard a cry of pain.

The Passion for Life |Joseph Hocking
He ate because his mother filled his plate; but if he had been questioned, he could scarcely have told what he was eating.

Baron Trigault's Vengeance |Emile Gaboriau
But you'll excuse me if I say that I scarcely expected to have the railroad company's field-manager come and tell me about it.

The Honorable Senator Sage-Brush |Francis Lynde
One sees a few women, but scarcely any men, present on ordinary occasions.

Equatorial America |Maturin M. Ballou
Scarcely a religious system has existed that has not worked effectively and proved true for someone.

First and Last Things |H. G. Wells

British Dictionary definitions for scarcely

scarcely

/ (ˈskɛəslɪ) /

adverb

hardly at all; only just

often ironic probably not or definitely not that is scarcely justification for your actions

undefined scarcely

See hardly

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

scarcely

adverb

Origin of scarcely

synonym study for scarcely

usage note for scarcely

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH scarcely

Words nearby scarcely

Example sentences from the Web for scarcely

British Dictionary definitions for scarcely

adverb

undefined scarcely

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

scarcely

adverb

Origin of scarcely

synonym study for scarcely

usage note for scarcely

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH scarcely

Words nearby scarcely

Words related to scarcely

Example sentences from the Web for scarcely

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adverb

undefined scarcely

British Dictionary definitions for scarcely