scarce

[ skairs ]
See synonyms for scarce on Thesaurus.com
adjective,scarc·er, scarc·est.
  1. insufficient to satisfy the need or demand; not abundant: Meat and butter were scarce during the war.

  2. seldom met with; rare: a scarce book.

adverb

Idioms about scarce

  1. make oneself scarce, Informal.

    • to depart, especially suddenly.

    • to stay away; avoid.

Origin of scarce

1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English scars, from Old North French (e)scars, from Vulgar Latin excarpsus (unrecorded) “plucked out,” from Latin excerptus; see excerpt

Other words for scarce

Opposites for scarce

Other words from scarce

  • scarceness, noun
  • un·scarce, adjective
  • un·scarce·ly, adverb
  • un·scarce·ness, noun

Words that may be confused with scarce

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use scarce in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for scarce

scarce

/ (skɛəs) /


adjective
  1. rarely encountered

  2. insufficient to meet the demand

  1. make oneself scarce informal to go away, esp suddenly

adverb
  1. archaic, or literary scarcely

Origin of scarce

1
C13: from Old Norman French scars, from Vulgar Latin excarpsus (unattested) plucked out, from Latin excerpere to select; see excerpt

Derived forms of scarce

  • scarceness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with scarce

scarce

In addition to the idiom beginning with scarce

  • scarce as hen's teeth
  • scarcely ever

also see:

  • make oneself scarce

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.