SCARCE: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for SCARCE?

Need another word that means the same as “scarce”? Find 21 synonyms and 30 related words for “scarce” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Scarce” are: in short supply, short, scant, scanty, meagre, sparse, hard to find, hard to come by, not enough, insufficient, deficient, inadequate, lacking, wanting, rare, few and far between, thin on the ground, barely, hardly, scarcely, just

Scarce as an Adjective

Definitions of "Scarce" as an adjective

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “scarce” as an adjective can have the following definitions:

• Occurring in small numbers or quantities; rare.
• Deficient in quantity or number compared with the demand.
• (especially of food, money, or some other resource) insufficient for the demand.

Synonyms of "Scarce" as an adjective (17 Words)

deficient	Falling short of some prescribed norm. Deficient in common sense.
few and far between	A quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by `a’; a small but indefinite number.
hard to come by	Very strong or vigorous.
hard to find	Not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure.
in short supply	Holding office.
inadequate	Not sufficient to meet a need. An inadequate income.
insufficient	Of a quantity not able to fulfill a need or requirement. There was insufficient evidence to convict him.
lacking	Nonexistent. There was something lacking in our marriage.
meagre	(of something provided or available) lacking in quantity or quality. A meagre diet of bread and beans.
not enough	Sufficient for the purpose.
rare	(of meat) cooked a short time; still red inside. What is so rare as a day in June.
scant	Barely sufficient or adequate. A scant cup of sugar.
scanty	Small or insufficient in quantity or amount. They paid whatever they could out of their scanty wages to their families.
short	Tending to crumble or break into flakes due to a large amount of shortening. They have been backed at short odds to win thousands of pounds.
sparse	Scanty; in short supply. Areas of sparse population.
thin on the ground	Lacking excess flesh-Shakespeare.
wanting	Nonexistent. The English batting technique has been found wanting.

Usage Examples of "Scarce" as an adjective

• The freshwater shrimp becomes scarce in soft water.
• As raw materials became scarce, synthetics were developed.
• Fresh vegetables were scarce during the drought.

Scarce as an Adverb

Definitions of "Scarce" as an adverb

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “scarce” as an adverb can have the following definitions:

• Only a very short time before.
• Almost not.
• Scarcely.

Synonyms of "Scarce" as an adverb (4 Words)

barely	In a sparse or scanty way. It was barely 5 a m.
hardly	No or not (suggesting surprise at or disagreement with a statement. The little house in which he lived was hardly bigger than a hut.
just	Indicating exactness or preciseness. They were just interested in making money.
scarcely	Almost not. They could scarcely all be wrong.

Usage Examples of "Scarce" as an adverb

• He was scarce sixteen years old.
• They scarcely ever used the emergency generator.
• Had scarcely rung the bell when the door flew open.
• Would have scarce arrived before she would have found some excuse to leave.
• A babe scarce two years old.

Associations of "Scarce" (30 Words)

adequacy	The quality of being sufficient for the end in view. He questioned the adequacy of the usual sentimental interpretation of the Golden Rule.
barely	Only a very short time before. She nodded barely able to speak.
coincidentally	Happening at the same time. The report should be published coincidentally with the letter.
curio	A rare, unusual, or intriguing object. They had such fun over the wonderful box of curios that Jack had sent from India.
deficient	Insufficient or inadequate. A deficient education.
hardly	Only a very short time before. The party had hardly started when the police arrived.
inadequate	Of insufficient quantity to meet a need. Inadequate funding.
infrequently	Not often; rarely. A storage area for infrequently used items.
insufficient	Of a quantity not able to fulfill a need or requirement. Insufficient funds.
limited	Not unlimited. The legislation has had a limited effect.
meager	Deficient in amount or quality or extent. Meager resources.
meagerly	Deficient in amount or quality or extent. These voices are meagerly represented at the conference.
measly	Contemptibly small in amount. A measly tip.
occasional	Occurring from time to time. An occasional worker.
paucity	The presence of something in only small or insufficient quantities or amounts. A paucity of information.
pittance	A pious bequest to a religious house or order to provide extra food and wine at particular festivals, or on the anniversary of the benefactor’s death. He paid his workers a pittance.
rare	Recurring only at long intervals. He plays with rare sensitivity.
rarefaction	A decrease in the density of something. The cord has undergone rarefaction.
rarely	Not often. We rarely met.
rareness	Noteworthy scarcity.
rarity	Something unusual — perhaps worthy of collecting. The rarity of the condition.
scant	Deal with inadequately; neglect. The press regularly scants a host of issues relating to safety and health.
scanty	Short underpants for women or children (usually used in the plural. Her dress was scanty and revealing.
seldom	Not often. He was seldom absent.
sometimes	On certain occasions or in certain cases but not always. Sometimes I want to do things on my own.
sparse	Thinly dispersed or scattered. Areas of sparse population.
sparsely	In a thinly dispersed manner; in small numbers. A sparsely populated region.
sporadic	Recurring in scattered and irregular or unpredictable instances. Sporadic fighting broke out.
sporadically	In a sporadic manner. He worked sporadically at part time jobs.
subsist	Be attributable to. The peace subsisted between 1303 and 1324.