Scarce: meaning, definitions and examples

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scarce

[ skɛəs ]

^{Context #1}

in supply or availability

Insufficient for the demand; not plentiful or abundant; in short supply.

Synonyms

limited, meager, rare, sparse

Examples of usage

There was a scarce amount of food left in the pantry.
The water supply became scarce during the drought.
The rare stamp was scarce and highly sought after by collectors.

^{Context #2}

in a limited or insufficient manner

In a manner that is lacking in quantity or quality.

Synonyms

meagerly, scantily, sparingly

Examples of usage

They could barely find enough food to eat, so they lived scarce.
The resources were distributed scarce among the refugees.

Translations

Translations of the word "scarce" in other languages:

🇵🇹 escasso

🇮🇳 दुर्लभ

🇩🇪 knapp

🇮🇩 langka

🇺🇦 дефіцитний

🇵🇱 rzadki

🇯🇵 希少な (kishōna)

🇫🇷 rare

🇪🇸 escaso

🇹🇷 kıt

🇰🇷 희귀한 (huigwi han)

🇸🇦 نادر

🇨🇿 vzácný

🇸🇰 vzácny

🇨🇳 稀缺的 (xīquē de)

🇸🇮 redko

🇮🇸 sjaldgæfur

🇰🇿 сирек

🇬🇪 იშვიათი

🇦🇿 nadir

🇲🇽 escaso

Word origin

The word 'scarce' originated from the Old French word 'escars' meaning 'bare, barren'. Over time, it evolved to its current meaning of insufficiency or shortage. The concept of scarcity has been a fundamental aspect of economics and resource allocation throughout history.

See also: scar, scarlet, scarred, unscarred.