Scarcely
'skɛəsli
Definitions
2 meaningsAlmost not; barely; hardly; only just.
'skɛəsli
Only a little; almost not at all.
I could scarcely hear what he said.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're looking for a friend but they're *scarcely* around. It means they are almost never there, you rarely see them! For example: I scarcely eat sweets. I almost never eat them.
👶 For kids: When something happens almost not at all, we can say it happens 'scarcely'.
More Examples
We scarcely had time to eat before we had to leave.
There was scarcely any food left after the party.
He scarcely ever goes to the movies.
How It's Used
"He could scarcely believe his eyes."
"I scarcely know what to do!"
Used to indicate that something happens almost immediately after something else.
'skɛəsli
Immediately after; no sooner than.
Scarcely had he finished his work when he went to bed.
💡 Simply: Imagine a race where things happen really fast. *Scarcely* is used to say that something happened directly after something else. Example: Scarcely had I closed the door when the doorbell rang - it happened immediately.
👶 For kids: When one thing happens right after another, we can say it happened 'scarcely' after.
More Examples
Scarcely had she arrived when they started arguing.
Scarcely had the clock struck midnight when the fireworks began.
Scarcely had the movie started when the power went out.
How It's Used
"Scarcely had he sat down when the phone rang."
"Scarcely had the sun set when the storm began."
Idioms & expressions
scarcely able to
Almost unable to; having great difficulty with.
"He was scarcely able to walk after the accident."
scarcely a moment
very short time, almost no time at all.
"Scarcely a moment passed before the rain began."
From Middle English *scarsliche*, a variant of *scarsly*, from *scars* (scarce) + *ly* (suffix). Ultimately related to Old French *escars*.
Historically, 'scarcely' had a similar meaning, often emphasizing lack or near absence of something. It appears frequently in literature from the 18th and 19th centuries, particularly in narratives and descriptive writing.
Memory tip
Think of a scarce resource – it's *scarcely* available.
Word Origin
"Limited in amount or availability; rare"