SCARCELY Synonyms: 77 Similar and Opposite Words

scarcely

adverb

ˈskers-lē

Definition of scarcely

as in barely

by a very small margin was scarcely able to walk after the near-fatal accident

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in no

certainly not I scarcely think that one person being sick is an "epidemic"

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of scarcely She was cut from a singular cloth with an artistic vision as distinctive as that voice of hers, an instrument of pure emotion that could scarcely be more instantly identifiable as Dolly Parton. — Ed Masley, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026 The activity now seen actually serves as a further threat to competitive balance in a division where scarcely anyone stands a chance of winning the title in the first place. — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026 All four were victorious, their religious affiliations scarcely noted. — Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 12 Aug. 2026 But there’s something about the failures of The Last House that feel like an encapsulation of the state of American film in all its rudderless mediocrity in which humanity is scarcely explored and artistry is rarely found. — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for scarcely

Recent Examples of Synonyms for scarcely

Adverb

The ministry said in a statement on Friday that health facilities in coastal, western and southern areas of the province have closed or are barely partially functioning.

— AHMED AL-HAJ, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
Until, suddenly, the life drains from his eyes, sometimes for barely a second, and returning before anyone else in the scene notices.

— Clayton Davis, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of barely

Adverb

Ask about medication to prevent HIV, which should be started as soon as possible and no later than 72 hours, and about emergency contraception.

— Jennifer Obel, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026
On Thursday, Abdy and De Luca were waiting to learn their fate, which was to be revealed no later than closing day, Tuesday, October 6.

— Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of no

Adverb

However, a wall of wind shear is expected to slightly destabilize the storm just before landfall — slowing its wind speeds to 100 mph and broadening the system, spreading the high winds and heavy rains even further from the core of the storm.

— Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026
Barkley delivered a nasty spin move that left him slightly sideways, forcing him to jump and then leapfrog backward.

— Mark Long, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of slightly

Adverb

Flashbacks to recent events reveal that the townspeople never let Hal find peace, and even firebombed his home, only for a grown-up Noah — Kerry’s son, and Zoe’s grandson — to save him and regenerate his skin using Zoe’s covert alien tech.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
And in all his years, Anderson said he’s never seen more companies support robust regulation.

— Bob Herman, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of never

Adverb

That is because Lula, Brazil’s current president and campaigning candidate, had been parading the centre of Rio just a few hundred meters away from the port.

— Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
Kagan and Soai figured out, for the first time, a way to create just one of those mirror images.

— Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of just

Adverb

As an adolescent, Winston could hardly have imagined the cascading effect of his shrewd eye for color and clarity.

— Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 3 Oct. 2026
On paper, director Tom McCarthy‘s latest film, A Statement might appear to be a dense polemic, hardly the stuff of exciting moviemaking.

— Pete Hammond, Deadline, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of hardly

Browse Nearby Words

scarce

scarcely

scarceness

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Style

“Scarcely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scarcely. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of scarcely

adverb

Example Sentences

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