adverb
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hardly at all; only just
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ironic probably not or definitely not
that is scarcely justification for your actions
Usage
See hardly.
Related Words
See hardly.
Etymology
Origin of scarcely
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They were so good for the entirety of the first half that you could scarcely see a way back for Celtic.
From BBC
His large band, squeezed onto a stage scarcely longer than two kayaks laid end to end, is composed almost entirely of Haitian preachers’ kids raised in the country’s gospel tradition.
From Los Angeles Times
The 43-year-old reiterated to his players the importance of approaching their trip to face fourth-tier opposition with the right mentality, but his words could scarcely have prepared them for the messy reality on the ground.
From BBC
So far, key facts about Newsom’s policy priorities have scarcely gone beyond California’s borders.
From Salon
She scarcely heard someone cry, “Your team won!”
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
