scarcely

[skairs-lee] /ˈskɛərs li/

adverb

barely; hardly; not quite:

The light is so dim we can scarcely see.

definitely not:

This is scarcely the time to raise such questions.

probably not:

You could scarcely have chosen better.

Origin

1250-1300; Middle English; see scarce, -ly

Can be confused

barely, hardly, scarcely (see synonym study at hardly)

Synonym Study

1. See hardly.

Usage note

1. See hardly.

Examples from the web for scarcely

But there was no outpouring of fear, scarcely even a whimper.
One could scarcely imagine a subject more important than ethics for.
The future for many other lenders looks scarcely brighter.
In those days, that number scarcely made a dent in the large grizzly population.
Perhaps that is because life without the ability to feel is scarcely imaginable.
If you want to know about the life and habitat of a woolly mammoth, there is scarcely a better place to look than in its dung.
But the way they are presenting themselves to buyers could scarcely be further apart.
The pace of new hiring crashed during the recession and has scarcely recovered since.
Until now the region had scarcely been explored because of its remoteness and depth.
Although the world of autism research is expanding, horizons for many of those with the condition have scarcely changed.

British Dictionary definitions for scarcely

/ˈskɛəslɪ/

adverb

hardly at all; only just

(often ironic) probably not or definitely not: that is scarcely justification for your actions