scarce

[ skairs ]

adjective

, scarc·er, scarc·est.

1. insufficient to satisfy the need or demand; not abundant:

   Meat and butter were scarce during the war.

   Synonyms: deficient

   Antonyms: abundant

2. seldom met with; rare:

   a scarce book.

   Synonyms: infrequent, uncommon

adverb

1. scarcely.

scarce

/ skɛəs /

adjective

1. rarely encountered
2. insufficient to meet the demand
3. make oneself scarce informal.
   to go away, esp suddenly

adverb

1. archaic.
   scarcely

Derived Forms

• ˈscarceness, noun

Other Words From

• scarceness noun
• un·scarce adjective
• un·scarcely adverb
• un·scarceness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of scarce¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English scars, from Old North French (e)scars, from Vulgar Latin excarpsus (unrecorded) “plucked out,” from Latin excerptus; excerpt

Word History and Origins

Origin of scarce¹

C13: from Old Norman French scars, from Vulgar Latin excarpsus (unattested) plucked out, from Latin excerpere to select; see excerpt

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. make oneself scarce, Informal.
   1. to depart, especially suddenly.
   2. to stay away; avoid.

More idioms and phrases containing scarce

In addition to the idiom beginning with scarce , also see make oneself scarce .

Example Sentences

During this sequence, the film’s flaws briefly fade, giving way to the kind of classic movie magic that has become all too scarce.

From Salon

Water vapor is typically scarce, and using indoor air to drive the hydration reaction can reduce the building's humidity to an uncomfortable level while the cold outside air contains limited moisture.

From Science Daily

Water had already been scarce, but attacks on electricity infrastructure in October last year shut off power to the region’s main water station, in Alouk, and it has not been working since.

From BBC

However, studies examining the benefits of visual arts training for neurology residents remain scarce.

From Science Daily

They believe that water and land are becoming scarcer, forcing them to hoard and defend those resources.

From Salon

Related Words

• deficient
• limited
• rare
• scant
• scanty
• sparse
• sporadic