scarce

1 of 2

adjective

ˈskers

scarcer; scarcest

: deficient in quantity or number compared with the demand : not plentiful or abundant

: 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 occurred

John McPhee

Example Sentences

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

However, if patients don’t respond to these treatments, additional therapy options are scarce.

Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC News, 10 Sep. 2022 Data on how much business and first class cabin bookings have increased is scarce, since most airlines keep such specifics confidential.

Vivienne Walt, Fortune, 10 Sep. 2022 Folks on the narrow island bike to work because everything’s close, gas is expensive and parking is scarce.

Andrew Van Dam, Washington Post, 9 Sep. 2022 The water industry knows how to address the neglect, and money is needed, but experience shows that leadership and workforce capacity go far even when money is scarce.

WSJ, 9 Sep. 2022 Riney helped lead the five-hospital health system and its 33,000 employees through the coronavirus pandemic, diversifying Henry Ford’s supply chain problems when masks, gloves and gowns were scarce, and through staffing challenges.

Kristen Jordan Shamus, Detroit Free Press, 8 Sep. 2022 The restaurant on Northlake Boulevard is a clam’s throw from the town of Westlake, Loxahatchee Groves, the Acreage and golf-and-country-club Ibis — a food desert where retail stores and restaurants are scarce.

Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 7 Sep. 2022 And auto makers and retailers enjoyed hefty profit margins when goods were scarce and Americans were spending robustly.

Christopher Rugaber, ajc, 7 Sep. 2022 After World War I, jobs were scarce and income for many families in Kentucky was low.

courier-journal.com, 6 Sep. 2022 See More

scarce

adjective

as in sparse

less plentiful than what is normal, necessary, or desirable food was a bit scarce last winter

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

sparse
poor
lacking
scanty
insufficient
scant
meager
inadequate
skimpy
light
spare
lowest
meagre
sparing
small
stingy
skimp
short
exiguous
minimal
deficient
slender
niggardly
thin
mere
slim
thin on the ground
hand-to-mouth
least
wanting
sterile
slightest
bare
littlest
barren
unproductive
unfruitful
bare-bones
slight
infertile

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

abundant
plentiful
sufficient
adequate
ample
enough
copious
generous
satisfactory
bountiful
liberal
rich
tolerable
fertile
prolific
plenteous
fruitful
fat
lavish
extra
excess
fecund
bursting
surplus
luxuriant
flourishing
thriving
proliferative
teeming
blooming
swarming

as in lacking

not coming up to an expected measure or meeting a particular need help is always scarce in the resort town during the busy summer season

Synonyms & Similar Words

lacking
insufficient
inadequate
low
deficient
short
sparse
scanty
wanting
scant
shy
meager
poor
unacceptable
unsatisfactory
skimpy
spare
substandard
stingy
meagre
small
light
slender
lean
niggardly
slim
skimp
minimum
mere
bare
hand-to-mouth
slight

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

adequate
sufficient
plentiful
abundant
enough
ample
copious
bountiful
generous
plenteous
bounteous
liberal
enlarged
supplemented
satisfactory
expanded
tolerable
teeming
large
overflowing
rich
considerable
plenitudinous
substantial
lavish
sizeable
sizable
big
abounding
super
luxuriant
oversized
hefty
oversize
largish
jumbo
king-sized
king-size

Synonym Chooser

Some common synonyms of scarce are infrequent, rare, sporadic, and uncommon. While all these words mean "not common or abundant," scarce implies falling short of a standard or required abundance.

jobs were scarce during the Depression

In some situations, the words infrequent and scarce are roughly equivalent. However, infrequent implies occurrence at wide intervals in space or time.

infrequent family visits

The meanings of rare and scarce largely overlap; however, rare suggests extreme scarcity or infrequency and often implies consequent high value.

rare first editions

While the synonyms sporadic and scarce are close in meaning, sporadic implies occurrence in scattered instances or isolated outbursts.

sporadic cases of influenza

While in some cases nearly identical to scarce, uncommon suggests a frequency below normal expectation.

smallpox is now uncommon in many countries

单词	scarce
释义	scarce 1 of 2 adjective ˈskers 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 occurred John McPhee Synonyms Adjective exiguous hand-to-mouth light meager meagre niggardly poor scant scanty skimp skimpy slender slim spare sparing sparse stingy See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences 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 However, if patients don’t respond to these treatments, additional therapy options are scarce. Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC News, 10 Sep. 2022 Data on how much business and first class cabin bookings have increased is scarce, since most airlines keep such specifics confidential. Vivienne Walt, Fortune, 10 Sep. 2022 Folks on the narrow island bike to work because everything’s close, gas is expensive and parking is scarce. Andrew Van Dam, Washington Post, 9 Sep. 2022 The water industry knows how to address the neglect, and money is needed, but experience shows that leadership and workforce capacity go far even when money is scarce. WSJ, 9 Sep. 2022 Riney helped lead the five-hospital health system and its 33,000 employees through the coronavirus pandemic, diversifying Henry Ford’s supply chain problems when masks, gloves and gowns were scarce, and through staffing challenges. Kristen Jordan Shamus, Detroit Free Press, 8 Sep. 2022 The restaurant on Northlake Boulevard is a clam’s throw from the town of Westlake, Loxahatchee Groves, the Acreage and golf-and-country-club Ibis — a food desert where retail stores and restaurants are scarce. Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 7 Sep. 2022 And auto makers and retailers enjoyed hefty profit margins when goods were scarce and Americans were spending robustly. Christopher Rugaber, ajc, 7 Sep. 2022 After World War I, jobs were scarce and income for many families in Kentucky was low. courier-journal.com, 6 Sep. 2022 See More 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 Phrases Containing scarce make oneself scarce make oneself scarce Kids Definition scarce 1 of 2 adjective ˈskers scarcer; scarcest : not plentiful Food was scarce during the war. scarce 2 of 2 adverb : hardly, scarcely … I could scarce conceal a shudder when he laid his hand upon my arm. Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island scarce adjective 1 as in sparse less plentiful than what is normal, necessary, or desirable food was a bit scarce last winter Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance sparse poor lacking scanty insufficient scant meager inadequate skimpy light spare lowest meagre sparing small stingy skimp short exiguous minimal deficient slender niggardly thin mere slim thin on the ground hand-to-mouth least wanting sterile slightest bare littlest barren unproductive unfruitful bare-bones slight infertile Antonyms & Near Antonyms abundant plentiful sufficient adequate ample enough copious generous satisfactory bountiful liberal rich tolerable fertile prolific plenteous fruitful fat lavish extra excess fecund bursting surplus luxuriant flourishing thriving proliferative teeming blooming swarming See More 2 as in lacking not coming up to an expected measure or meeting a particular need help is always scarce in the resort town during the busy summer season Synonyms & Similar Words lacking insufficient inadequate low deficient short sparse scanty wanting scant shy meager poor unacceptable unsatisfactory skimpy spare substandard stingy meagre small light slender lean niggardly slim skimp minimum mere bare hand-to-mouth slight Antonyms & Near Antonyms adequate sufficient plentiful abundant enough ample copious bountiful generous plenteous bounteous liberal enlarged supplemented satisfactory expanded tolerable teeming large overflowing rich considerable plenitudinous substantial lavish sizeable sizable big abounding super luxuriant oversized hefty oversize largish jumbo king-sized king-size See More Synonym Chooser Some common synonyms of scarce are infrequent, rare, sporadic, and uncommon. While all these words mean "not common or abundant," scarce implies falling short of a standard or required abundance. jobs were scarce during the Depression In some situations, the words infrequent and scarce are roughly equivalent. However, infrequent implies occurrence at wide intervals in space or time. infrequent family visits The meanings of rare and scarce largely overlap; however, rare suggests extreme scarcity or infrequency and often implies consequent high value. rare first editions While the synonyms sporadic and scarce are close in meaning, sporadic implies occurrence in scattered instances or isolated outbursts. sporadic cases of influenza While in some cases nearly identical to scarce, uncommon suggests a frequency below normal expectation. smallpox is now uncommon in many countries
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scarce

adjective

adverb

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Phrases Containing scarce

Kids Definition

adjective

adverb

adjective

Synonym Chooser