scarcelyscarce‧ly /ˈskeəsli $ ˈsker-/ ●●○ adverb 
The city had scarcely changed in 20 years. The country had scarcely any industry. He scarcely ever left the region.can/could scarcely do something It was getting dark and she could scarcely see in front of her.scarcely a day/year/moment etc Scarcely a day goes by when I don’t think of him.2only a moment ago SYN hardly, barely: He had scarcely sat down when there was a knock at the door.3definitely not or almost certainly not SYN hardly: Early March is scarcely the time of year for sailing.GRAMMAR: Word order• Scarcely usually comes before a main verb: · She scarcely said a word.• Scarcely comes after the first auxiliary verb: · I can scarcely believe he said that. ✗Don’t say: I scarcely can believe he said that.• Scarcely usually comes after the verb ‘be’ when it is used in simple tenses such as ‘is’ or ‘was’: · I was scarcely aware of the noise.• You can use scarcely at the beginning of a sentence before an auxiliary, to emphasize that one thing happens very soon after another thing: · Scarcely had they left the station than the train stopped.Grammar guide ‒ ADVERBS
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- There can scarcely be any doubt that Sullivan is guilty.
- We've seen scarcely a drop of rain for over six months.
- He awoke, and it seemed that he had scarcely closed his eyes.
- I scarcely notice that my feet are cold and wet.
- I have scarcely been myself since and I almost hate the sight of a gun.
- It can scarcely be imagined that he would have opposed the Philadelphia Museum's immensely well-conceived plan.
- It was like striking gold or falling rapturously in love: he possessed secret knowledge that his Germantown friends could scarcely imagine.
- Mutual deference could scarcely be carried farther.
- They sat at one of the marble-topped tables and ordered coffee from a bored waitress who scarcely spared them a glance.
- They were scarcely two hundred yards distant; yet such was the gloom that they could not be clearly distinguished.
Longman Language Activatorvery few
a very small number of people, things, places etc: · At that time, few people had televisions.· Very few new restaurants survive for more than two years.few/very few of: · Very few of the students we asked said they were interested in politics.
so few people or things that there are almost none: · There are almost no black students at the college.· My grandmother received almost no education as she was growing up.· Except for a lone seagull flying overhead, there are almost no signs of animal life.
so few people or things that there are almost none - use this especially when this number is disappointing or surprising: · There are supposed to be a lot of teachers at the conference, but I've met hardly any.hardly/scarcely any people/things/places etc: · Although it was Monday morning there were hardly any people around.· He enjoyed his work even though he made scarcely any money.hardly anyone: · We sent out over a hundred invitations but hardly anyone came.hardly any/scarcely any of: · Scarcely any of the private schools replied to the researcher's questionnaire.
spoken say this to emphasize that there is only a very small number of people, things, times when something happens etc: · I can count the number of times my son's called me on one hand.· Ten years ago, you could count the Korean restaurants in this city on the fingers of one hand.
rarely/not often not at all often. Seldom is more formal than rarely and is used especially in written English: · The Queen rarely speaks to journalists.· Discipline is rarely a problem in this school.· They're a very nice young couple, although I very seldom see them.rarely does/has somebody: · Very rarely do we have a complaint from any of our customers.· Seldom have I seen such a miraculous recovery in one of my patients.rarely/seldom, if ever: · Anti-government demonstrations do occur, but they are seldom, if ever, reported in the press.
· I don't often see my grandchildren.· Sometimes, but not very often, Pippa persuaded her father to lend her his car.· Tina didn't get to work until ten o'clock this morning, which is unusual because she's not often late.it's not often (that) · Of course I'm going to take the job, it's not often that you get a chance like this.
almost never: · My grandmother hardly ever goes out of the house.· She's hardly ever ill.· We scarcely ever walk through the town without meeting someone we know.· There used to be a lot of disputes over land boundaries but nowadays such problems scarcely ever arise.
informal extremely rarely: · I used to spend a lot of time in London, but now I only go there once in a blue moon.· Once in a blue moon Eric will offer to help with the dishes, but usually he doesn't do any housework at all.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY The country had scarcely any industry. He scarcely ever left the region. Scarcely a day goes by when I don’t think of him. He had scarcely sat down when there was a knock at the door. I could scarcely believe my luck.
1almost not or almost none at all SYN hardly: The country had scarcely any industry. He scarcely ever left the region. Scarcely a day goes by when I don’t think of him. He had scarcely sat down when there was a knock at the door.· She scarcely said a word.
· I can scarcely believe he said that.
· I was scarcely aware of the noise.
· Scarcely had they left the station than the train stopped.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES I could scarcely believe my luck. (=find it difficult to imagine)· He could scarcely imagine what living in such poor conditions must have been like.
(=only a little louder than a whisper)· 'Not me', he said, in a voice barely above a whisper.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE· After getting a double first at Oxford he married Sara, scarcely able to believe his luck.· She drove across the bridge into Cookham, scarcely able to see for tears of shock and anger.· Peter stood for a moment, dumbfounded, scarcely able to contain his thoughts.· Mrs Mallory stepped out of the doctor's into the sunlight and bounded down the hill, scarcely able to contain her glee.· Hugh was now wandering in his speech and scarcely able to stand without Marian's help.
· Conversely, the smallest market towns were scarcely distinguishable from populous villages.· Interior space is scarcely distinguishable from exterior.· It was still not yet five o'clock, and the trees themselves were scarcely distinguishable in the semidarkness.
· Since the principal function of grammar is to indicate how units of meaning are to be combined, this is scarcely surprising.· Such a preference is scarcely surprising but may be difficult to accommodate in specially designated homes and hostels.· Which, given the way Wally rambles on, is scarcely surprising.· It is scarcely surprising that popes did not like calling Councils.· It is scarcely surprising that opt-out schools are apprehensive.· Given that people had no rational basis for choosing among candidates, it was scarcely surprising they used one they deemed natural.
VERB· She could scarcely begin to think at all.· Slothrop's search, however, has scarcely begun before he realizes that he himself is under investigation.· Why, we've scarcely begun, and already we have a few clients.· Last year's return to democracy has scarcely begun to reverse the country's decline.
· I can scarcely believe the King is dead and think it just a rumour.· And even people like Martinez, who scarcely believed in the ideal, were reluctant to act on their convictions.· Even the Lions players could scarcely believe what they were doing.· I could scarcely believe that Mones was only thirty-five.· She could scarcely believe her eyes.· I could scarcely believe my eyes.· Baltusnikas shot wide, scarcely believing he had so much room in the Republic's penalty area.· He could scarcely believe his good fortune.
· MacDonald could scarcely find enough party stalwarts with the ability or experience to fill even the major posts.· Troops could scarcely find dry ground on which to pitch their tents.
· He scarcely heard her soft voice going on about paraffin heaters and electrical wall fans.· Her voice is so low I can scarcely hear what she is saying.· She scarcely heard in her humiliation.
· Now she scarcely knew what to think.· I scarcely knew the woman, but it seemed clear to me that she was suddenly operating by another set of premises.· Now she clutched at it helplessly, scarcely knowing what to do with it.· When she passed him on the stairs his expression told her he scarcely knew she was there.· With every step her energy crackled; scarcely knowing at first what she said, she found herself reciting the lines from Cymbeline.· So had the provinces, which scarcely knew how to struggle for local political and cultural rights.· She scarcely knew these women and told herself that she didn't wish to.· I scarcely knew what I was saying or doing.
· A biography of Sarah Pugh, littered with names, scarcely mentions hers.
· It scarcely needs to be observed that from the viewpoint of the defendant's country these arguments are unacceptable.· Here, it scarcely needs stating, we have in mind a traditional, negative conception of liberty.· Standing on tiptoe, she arched her lower body to his scarcely needing the encouragement of his hand pressing against her spine.· It scarcely needs to be said that these are equations without solutions.· The parallel with Francisco Franco scarcely needs pointing out.
· The great Mystery Miguel would scarcely notice if one hysterical female were missing.· Of course, he had also collected a fair number of stings, but he had scarcely noticed them.· All this time she had scarcely noticed there were other people in the car with her.· I scarcely notice that my feet are cold and wet.· Wycliffe rang with timidity; even so the silence he had scarcely noticed until now was brutally shattered.· I scarcely notice that he would be considered handsome, even desirable.
· He was devoted to the Prince, but he had served him for ten years and his wife had scarcely seen him.· Already visibility was so restricted that neighboring ships in the formation could scarcely see each other.· The rain came on harder, and what with that and the darkness, Ruth could scarcely see anything.· Some of Donaldson's punting was shrewdly angled and flighted but the wings scarcely saw the ball.· You could scarcely see anyone had been there.· I have scarcely seen more beautiful mosaics anywhere.
· Does he really have a chance against a master-campaigner who nowadays scarcely seems to put a foot wrong?· By golly, it scarcely seemed possible, but he had done it again.· He seemed scarcely even to register the changing faces of aupair girls.· But he scarcely seemed to notice any of these ministrations.· Most of the time he seemed scarcely present, adding little to family conversations.· Positivist criminology, on the other hand, seemed scarcely to recognise it at all.· Journalists, likewise, scarcely seem reticent in their claims.· He scarcely seemed to hear what she said.
· They would just stand there, motionless, their eyes fixed on the horizon, scarcely speaking to each other.· One can scarcely speak of unity in national literature.· He had scarcely spoken, and I had taken his silence as acquiescence or passivity.
· He did it nimbly, his feet scarcely touching the narrow steel treads.· But Hanoi and Haiphong were almost totally unscathed, and the nearby countryside seemed to have been scarcely touched.· Fanshawe had been lying on his face and the fire had scarcely touched him.· He had half emptied Woolacombe's decanter, and yet his head was scarcely touched.· Tired, drawn and bruised that he was, even the hard-earned pint by his right hand was scarcely touched.
The city had scarcely changed in 20 years. The country had scarcely any industry. He scarcely ever left the region.can/could scarcely do something It was getting dark and she could scarcely see in front of her.scarcely a day/year/moment etc Scarcely a day goes by when I don’t think of him.2only a moment ago SYN hardly, barely: He had scarcely sat down when there was a knock at the door.3definitely not or almost certainly not SYN hardly: Early March is scarcely the time of year for sailing.GRAMMAR: Word order• Scarcely usually comes before a main verb: · She scarcely said a word.• Scarcely comes after the first auxiliary verb: · I can scarcely believe he said that. ✗Don’t say: I scarcely can believe he said that.• Scarcely usually comes after the verb ‘be’ when it is used in simple tenses such as ‘is’ or ‘was’: · I was scarcely aware of the noise.• You can use scarcely at the beginning of a sentence before an auxiliary, to emphasize that one thing happens very soon after another thing: · Scarcely had they left the station than the train stopped.Grammar guide ‒ ADVERBS- Mothercare
- mother country
- Mother Earth
- motherfucker
- motherfucking
- Mother Goose
- motherhood
- mothering
- Mothering Sunday
- mother-in-law
- motherland
- motherless
- motherliness
- mother lode
- motherly
- Mother Nature
- Mother of God
- mother-of-pearl
- mother's boy
- Mother's Day
- mother ship
- Mother Shipton
- Mother's Pride
- Mother Superior
- Mother Teresa