You use scarcely to emphasize that something is only just true or only just the case.
[emphasis]
He could scarcely breathe.
I scarcely knew him.
She seemed scarcely aware of him.
He was scarcely more than a boy.
She was scarcely 18 when she made her debut.
Synonyms: hardly, barely, only just, scarce [archaic] More Synonyms of scarcely
2. adverb [ADVERB before verb]
You can use scarcely to say that something is not true or is not the case, in a humorous or critical way.
It can scarcely be coincidence.
Yesterday, however, his views seemed scarcely relevant.
It was scarcely in their interest to let too many people know.
Synonyms: by no means, hardly, not at all, definitely not More Synonyms of scarcely
3. adverb [ADVERB before verb]
If you say scarcelyhad one thing happened when something else happened, you mean that the first event was followed immediately by the second.
Scarcely had they left before soldiers arrived armed with rifles.
Bruce had scarcely shaken our hands when the phone rang.
More Synonyms of scarcely
scarcely in British English
(ˈskɛəslɪ)
adverb
1.
hardly at all; only just
2. often ironic
probably not or definitely not
that is scarcely justification for your actions
▶ USAGE Since scarcely, hardly, and barely already have negative force, it is redundant to use another negative in the sameclause: there was scarcely any (not scarcely no) bread left; he had hardly had (not he hadn't hardly had) time to think
scarcely in American English
(ˈskɛrsli)
adverb
1.
hardly; not quite; only just
2.
probably not or certainly not
scarcely true
Examples of 'scarcely' in a sentence
scarcely
She was so happy that she scarcely dared to breathe.
Frances Hodgson Burnett The Secret Garden (1911)
Today his reasons are scarcely any less altruistic.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
This documentary looks back at the scarcely believable drama as it unfolded.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Yet she can scarcely have expected one so savage as this.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
But scarcely less valuable is the gift of knowing when to call it a day.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
It is scarcely believable that the drama of that week occurred eight years ago.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
What though it was a tin bath with scarcely room for one?
Aldiss, Brian Somewhere East of Life (1994)
But an unsuspecting audience was confronted with a concert performance of scarcely less than the entire play.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The two men passed one another with scarcely a nod.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The trouble with the story is that at this distance the whole fuss looks so idiotic as to be scarcely believable.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It was such a jaw-dropping spectacle that at times the action that unfolded scarcely seemed credible.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The German people can scarcely say they were not warned.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Two thousand people scarcely dared to breathe, and a star was born.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
It seems scarcely credible that he has been stuck on 14 majors for more than four years.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
She could scarcely breathe, wanting him to like what he saw.
Christina Dodd SOMEDAY MY PRINCE (1999)
As a debut disc, this is scarcely credible.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
People scarcely bother to turn a head as they pass; they are just part of daily life.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The high stresses of sport might have been designed to bring out exceptional aspects of personality, things that the performers themselves were scarcely aware they possessed.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Overnight, soldiers who had scarcely been aware of each other's existence became part of an extended family.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
In other languages
scarcely
British English: scarcely /ˈskɛəslɪ/ ADVERB
You use scarcely to emphasize that something is only just true.
He could scarcely breathe.
American English: scarcely
Arabic: باِلْكَاد
Brazilian Portuguese: mal
Chinese: 几乎不
Croatian: jedva
Czech: stěží
Danish: knap
Dutch: nauwelijks
European Spanish: apenas
Finnish: hädin tuskin
French: rarement
German: kaum
Greek: μετά βίας
Italian: scarsamente
Japanese: ほとんど･･･ない
Korean: 겨우
Norwegian: knapt
Polish: ledwo
European Portuguese: mal
Romanian: abia
Russian: едва
Latin American Spanish: apenas
Swedish: knappast
Thai: อย่างไม่พอเพียง
Turkish: nadiren
Ukrainian: ледь
Vietnamese: vỏn vẹn
Chinese translation of 'scarcely'
scarcely
(ˈskɛəslɪ)
adv
(= barely) 几(幾)乎不 (jīhū bù)
(= certainly not) 决(決)不 (juébù)
scarcely anybody几(幾)乎没(沒)人 (jīhū méi rén)
I can scarcely believe it我简(簡)直不能相信 (wǒ jiǎnzhí bùnéng xiāngxìn)
scarcely had I arrived when the phone rang我刚(剛)到电(電)话(話)就响(響)了 (wǒ gāng dào diànhuà jiù xiǎng le)
1 (adverb)
Definition
hardly at all
He could scarcely breathe.
Synonyms
hardly
Nick, on the sofa, hardly slept.
barely
His voice was barely audible.
only just
scarce (archaic)
almost not
2 (adverb)
Definition
probably or definitely not
ironic)
It can scarcely be coincidence.
Synonyms
by no means
This is by no means out of the ordinary.
hardly
It's hardly surprising his ideas didn't catch on.
not at all
definitely not
under no circumstances
on no account
On no account should the mixture come near boiling.
3 (adverb)
I scarcely ever re-read my published writings.
Synonyms
rarely
seldom
They seldom speak.
not often
infrequently
occasionally
once in a blue moon (informal)
Once in a blue moon you get some problems.
hardly ever
Usage note
Since scarcely, hardly, and barely already have negative force, it is unnecessary to use another negative word with them. Therefore, say he had hardly had time to think (not he hadn't hardly had time to think); and there was scarcely any bread left (not there was scarcely no bread left). When scarcely, hardly, and barely are used at the beginning of a sentence, as in scarcely had I arrived, the following clause should start with when: scarcely had I arrived when I was asked to chair a meeting. The word before can be used in place of when in this context, but the word than used in the same way is considered incorrect by many people, though this use is becoming increasingly common.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of barely
Definition
only just
His voice was barely audible.
Synonyms
only just,
just,
hardly,
scarcely,
at a push,
almost not
in the sense of on no account
On no account should the mixture come near boiling.