Word
scarce
US/ˈskɛɹs/
UK/skˈeəs/
Definitions
01hard to find
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. available in small amounts and difficult to find.
adj. insufficient to meet a demand or requirement; existing in limited quantities.
“Fresh water became scarce after the long summer without any rain.”
“During the economic crisis, skilled labour became increasingly scarce as many professionals sought more stable opportunities abroad.”
02lacking something
C1 · Advanced Literary
adj. not having enough of a specific thing.
adj. deficient in quantity or number; poorly supplied with a particular resource.
“The village was scarce of food after the harsh winter.”
“The expedition found themselves scarce of medical supplies just as they reached the most remote part of the mountain range.”
Usage
Often used with the preposition 'of'.
03barely
C2 · Proficiency Archaic · Literary
adv. almost not at all; only just.
adv. used to indicate that something is only just true or has only just happened.
“The sun had scarce risen when the travelers began their journey.”
“He had scarce finished his speech when the audience erupted into a mixture of confused murmurs and polite applause.”
Teaching tip
In modern English, speakers almost always use 'scarcely' instead of 'scarce' as an adverb.
Antonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “scarce” in context.
Adjective
01. scarce resource
“In many arid regions, fresh water is a scarce resource that must be managed carefully.”
adj + noun
Real-World Examples
“That’s why we want to pivot to what’s scarce, and what’s scarce is high-value, truthful information.” “Despite their name, however, the elements themselves are not especially scarce.” Etymology
From Middle English scars, scarse, from Old Northern French scars, escars ("sparing, niggard, parsimonious, miserly, poor"; > French échars, Medieval Latin scarsus (“diminished, reduced”)), of uncertain origin. One theory is that it derives originally from a Late Latin scarpsus, excarpsus, a participle form of *excarpere (“take out”), from Latin ex- + carpere; yet the sense evolution is difficult to trace. Compare Middle Dutch schaers (“scarce”), Middle Dutch schaers (“a pair of shears, plowshare”), scheeren (“to shear”). The standard pronunciation having the /ɛə(ɹ)/ vowel instead of expected /ɑː(ɹ)/ is due to a tendency for Old and Middle French preconsonantal /ar/ to be borrowed as Middle English /aːr/ that only survives in this word and dace in the modern standard, but is more frequent in Early Modern English and traditional dialects; compare Scots gairden (“garden”), lairge (“large”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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