Scarcely

/ˈskɛr.sli/

Meaning & Definition

adverb

Only just; almost not.

I could scarcely believe my eyes when I saw the surprise.

Hardly; barely.

She scarcely had time to finish her homework before dinner.

By a small amount; only just enough.

He arrived scarcely a moment after the meeting started.

With difficulty; only just.

They could scarcely hear the music over the noise of the crowd.

In very small quantities or amounts.

There were scarcely any seats left in the auditorium.

Middle English, from Old French 'escarcier', meaning 'to cut off'.

scarcely believe:

To hardly be able to accept as true.

scarcely a:

Almost not a; very few.

scarcely enough:

Barely sufficient.

Hardly an issue.

That was scarcely a challenge for her.

Just about not.

I was scarcely awake during that lecture.