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scarcely
/ˈskɛərsli/
almost not
There was scarcely any food left in the fridge.
There was almost no food left in the fridge.
formal
almost not; barely; hardly
She had scarcely finished speaking when the phone rang.
She had almost not finished speaking when the phone rang.
Scarcely a day goes by without him complaining.
Almost no day goes by without him complaining.
Used to emphasize that something is very close to not happening or existing. Often followed by 'when', 'if', or 'before'.
formal
used to suggest that something is unlikely or doubtful
You can scarcely expect me to believe that story!
You can hardly expect me to believe that story!
Emphasizes skepticism or improbability.
Collocations
scarcely ... whenused to indicate that one thing happens immediately after anotherscarcely everalmost never
Synonyms
Antonyms
Pro Tip
Sentence Position
When 'scarcely' starts a sentence, invert the subject and auxiliary verb (e.g., 'Scarcely had I arrived when it started raining').
Gold Rule
Formal Tone
'Scarcely' is more formal than 'hardly' or 'barely'. Use it in academic or literary contexts.
Inversion Rule
If 'scarcely' begins a sentence, invert the subject and auxiliary verb (e.g., 'Scarcely had I finished when...').
Word Origin
From Middle English 'scarsly', alteration of 'scarse' (meaning 'sparingly') + '-ly' (adverbial suffix), influenced by Latin 'scarsus' (scanty).
Usage Notes
Scarcely is more formal than 'hardly' or 'barely' and is often used in written English. It typically appears at the beginning of a sentence, which requires subject-auxiliary inversion (e.g., 'Scarcely had he left when...').
Word Breakdown
scarce
sparse or insufficient in quantity
root-ly
adverbial suffix indicating manner
suffixEnglish Dictionary