1
a
: by a narrow margin : only just
had scarcely rung the bell when the door flew open—
Agnes S. Turnbull
Agnes S. Turnbull
b
: almost not
could scarcely see for the fog
2
a
: certainly not
could scarcely interfere
b
: probably not
there could scarcely have been found a leader better equipped—V. L. Parrington
V. L. Parrington
Examples of scarcely in a Sentence
He could scarcely control his joy.
Scarcely a day goes by when they don't see or talk to each other.
He had scarcely enough money.
This is scarcely a time to laugh.
I could scarcely tell them they were wrong.
Recent Examples on the Web
Tuesday, though warm, could scarcely be regarded as steamy or sticky or sultry or tropical in its humidity.
—Martin Weil, Washington Post, 3 July 2024
Hayek suddenly introduces a new element to his analysis, which is scarcely mentioned in that opening chapter on freedom.
—Corey Robin, The New Yorker, 29 June 2024
The stakes of that debate could scarcely be higher: Republicans hold a majority of just five seats in the House, meaning the road to a Democratic majority could literally run through the New York suburbs.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 9 June 2024
Dior’s apartment is grand but dark and scarcely furnished and decorated, a sign of the times.
—Carrie Wittmer, Vulture, 14 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for scarcely 
Martin Weil, Washington Post, 3 July 2024
Hayek suddenly introduces a new element to his analysis, which is scarcely mentioned in that opening chapter on freedom.
—Corey Robin, The New Yorker, 29 June 2024
The stakes of that debate could scarcely be higher: Republicans hold a majority of just five seats in the House, meaning the road to a Democratic majority could literally run through the New York suburbs.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 9 June 2024
Dior’s apartment is grand but dark and scarcely furnished and decorated, a sign of the times.
—Carrie Wittmer, Vulture, 14 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for scarcely
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scarcely.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near scarcely
Cite this Entry
“Scarcely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scarcely. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
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