Word
scarcely
Phoneticsscarce·ly, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈskɛɹsɫi/
UK/skˈeəsli/
Adverb of degree
Definitions
01almost not
C1 · Advanced Formal
adv. almost not at all; used to say that something is very nearly not true or not happening.
adv. to a very small degree; almost not. Often used to emphasize that a state or action is barely present.
“The music was so quiet that I could scarcely hear it from the back row.”
“The evidence was so thin that the prosecution could scarcely argue for a conviction without further witnesses.”
Usage
Usually placed before the main verb or after the first auxiliary verb.
Pitfall
I couldn't scarcely believe it.
I could scarcely believe it.
Scarcely already has a negative meaning, so do not use it with 'not' or 'couldn't'.
Antonyms
02only just
C1 · Advanced Formal · Literary
adv. only just; used when something happens immediately after something else.
adv. only just; by a very narrow margin. Frequently used in the construction 'scarcely... when' to describe immediate succession.
“We had scarcely sat down to eat when the phone rang.”
“Scarcely had the ink dried on the treaty when the first reports of border skirmishes began to arrive at the capital.”
Usage
When starting a sentence with 'scarcely' for emphasis, the subject and verb are inverted (e.g., 'Scarcely had I...').
03certainly not
C1 · Advanced Formal
adv. used to say that something is definitely not possible or not true.
adv. used to imply that a statement is certainly not the case or that an action is impossible.
“He is so young that he can scarcely be expected to manage the whole company.”
“One can scarcely imagine a more disastrous outcome for the negotiations given the current political climate.”
Usage
Often used with 'can' or 'could' to suggest that an idea is unreasonable.
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“Across the course of our conversation, in bright sunshine outside a quiet hotel near Maidstone, it is evident that the 31-year-old could scarcely be happier about her decision to swap Barcelona for south-east England.” “Arday wrote that becoming a professor at Cambridge was something he “could scarcely have imagined” as an autistic child who was “unable to speak until I was 11 years old”.” Etymology
From Middle English scarcely, scarsly, scarsely, scarsliche, scarseliche, equivalent to scarce + -ly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
Grammar
- 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.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL 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: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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