Definition

Adverb: 1. Almost not; by a very small margin; only just. Used to indicate that something is true or happens, but only to a very limited degree or with great difficulty. 2. Only a moment before; just. Used to indicate that one event happened immediately after another, often with "when" or "before." 3. Certainly not; surely not. Used to express strong doubt or to indicate that something is very unlikely.

Usage

• Scarcely is used to modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. It is typically placed before the main verb (or after the first auxiliary verb) or before the adjective/adverb it modifies.
• It often appears in structures like "scarcely... when/before..." to connect two closely timed events.
• It is a formal synonym for "hardly" or "barely."

Examples

1. Meaning: Almost not; only just.

   • He could scarcely believe his eyes. (He almost couldn't believe it.)
   • There was scarcely any food left in the fridge. (There was almost no food.)
   • I scarcely know her; we've only met once. (I know her only a little.)

2. Meaning: Only a moment before (with "when/before").

   • I had scarcely walked in the door when the phone rang.
   • Scarcely had she finished her speech before the questions began.

3. Meaning: Certainly not.

   • That can scarcely be true. (That is very unlikely to be true.)
   • He is scarcely the right person for such a sensitive job. (He is definitely not the right person.)

Advanced Usage

• Inversion for Emphasis: In formal or literary English, when "scarcely" begins a clause describing a past event, the subject and auxiliary verb are often inverted.
  • Scarcely had I sat down when the meeting started. (More formal than "I had scarcely sat down...")

Variants and Related Words

• Scarce (adjective): Insufficient to meet demand; rarely found.
  • Fresh water was scarce in the desert.
• Scarcity (noun): The state of being scarce; a shortage.
  • The war led to a scarcity of basic goods.

Synonyms

• Hardly: Almost not. (e.g., )
• Barely: Only just; almost not. (e.g., )
• Only just: By a very small margin. (e.g., )

Related Phrases

• Scarcely ever: Very rarely; almost never.
  • He scarcely ever visits his hometown anymore.
• Scarcely any: Almost no; very little.
  • There is scarcely any difference between the two versions.

Adverb

1. almost not
   • he hardly ever goes fishing
   • he was hardly more than sixteen years old
   • they scarcely ever used the emergency generator
2. only a very short time before
   • 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