scarce

1 of 2

adjective

ˈskers How to pronounce scarce (audio)
scarcer; scarcest
Synonyms of scarce
1
: deficient in quantity or number compared with the demand : not plentiful or abundant
2
: intentionally absent
made himself scarce at inspection time
scarceness noun

scarce

2 of 2

adverb

: scarcely, hardly
Scarce was independence half a century old, when a … split occurred …—John McPhee

Synonyms of scarce

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Adjective

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infrequent, uncommon, scarce, rare, sporadic mean not common or abundant.

infrequent implies occurrence at wide intervals in space or time.

infrequent family visits

uncommon suggests a frequency below normal expectation.

smallpox is now uncommon in many countries

scarce implies falling short of a standard or required abundance.

jobs were scarce during the Depression

rare suggests extreme scarcity or infrequency and often implies consequent high value.

rare first editions

sporadic implies occurrence in scattered instances or isolated outbursts.

sporadic cases of influenza

Examples of scarce in a Sentence

Adjective Food was getting scarce during the drought. food was a bit scarce last winter Adverb I could scarce believe what I was hearing.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Adjective
This highlights that scarce resources like GPUs and energy are the true bottlenecks, benefiting their suppliers. — Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 Across the whole housing market in Miami-Dade, single-family homes are scarce, with inventory down 30% compared to pre-pandemic levels, according to the Analytics Miami report. — Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026 Fuel has also become scarce as power outages disabled gas stations and quake damage disrupted deliveries from other regions. — ABC News, 30 July 2026 While viral videos poke fun, territorial scrums over scarce Costco spots can turn ugly, and sometimes violent. — Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 30 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for scarce

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English scars, from Anglo-French eschars, escars narrow, stingy, deficient, from Vulgar Latin *excarpsus, literally, plucked out, past participle of Latin excerpere to pluck out — more at excerpt

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of scarce was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing scarce

Browse Nearby Words

scarb-tree
scarce
scarcely
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Cite this Entry

“Scarce.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scarce. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

scarce

adjective
ˈske(ə)rs, 
ˈska(ə)rs
scarcer; scarcest
: lacking in quantity or number : not plentiful
food is scarce
scarceness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on scarce

Nglish: Translation of scarce for Spanish Speakers

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