scarcer; scarcest
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
Synonyms
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
Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Feb. 2025
Because housing can be scarce, Californians have taken shelter in substandard housing, which is often unsafe, the ordinance states.
—Emma Hall, Sacramento Bee, 7 Feb. 2025
Nut loaf recipes became popular in the United States during World War I, when meat was scarce.
—Randy Graham, Orange County Register, 4 Feb. 2025
It has been suggested that urine might indicate a readiness to mate in certain cetaceans, although evidence for this is scarce.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 3 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for scarce 
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Adjective
Details are scarce — Leigh never reveals his plots or even his main characters before a film is finished — but his Hard Truth collaborators are back on board, including Bleecker Street, which will release the film in the U.S., and StudioCanal, which has U.K. rights.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Feb. 2025
Because housing can be scarce, Californians have taken shelter in substandard housing, which is often unsafe, the ordinance states.
—Emma Hall, Sacramento Bee, 7 Feb. 2025
Nut loaf recipes became popular in the United States during World War I, when meat was scarce.
—Randy Graham, Orange County Register, 4 Feb. 2025
It has been suggested that urine might indicate a readiness to mate in certain cetaceans, although evidence for this is scarce.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 3 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for scarce
Dictionary Entries Near scarce
Cite this Entry
“Scarce.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scarce. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.
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