adjective
scarce
SKEH-uhs
adjective
1
Not enough to meet demand; hard to find.
"Fresh water became scarce during the drought."
"Good jobs were scarce in the region that year."
How to Use Scarce
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishIn short supply — there isn't much of it around.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
scarce resources
scarce supply
become scarce
Word Forms
scarcer comparative, Scarces plural, scarcest superlative
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Fresh water became _____ during the drought.
Etymology
From Old Northern French escars, "sparing, miserly," of uncertain deeper origin.