scarcely
Translation
scarcely, hardly, barely
Examples
I could scarcely hear him.
I could scarcely hear him.
Scarcely had I arrived when the phone rang.
Scarcely had I arrived when the phone rang.
Grammar Patterns
((verb)) almost not at all I could scarcely hear him.
Scarcely had ((sb.)) ((past participle)) when... used to say that something happens immediately after something else Scarcely had I arrived when the phone rang.
Similar Words
Synonyms: hardly, barely, just; Antonyms: often, frequently
Etymology
From the adjective 'scarce' plus the adverb-forming suffix '-ly'. 'Scarce' comes from Old Northern French 'scars', meaning 'scanty'.
Memory Tips
Think 'scarce' (rare), so something 'scarcely' happens, meaning it rarely happens.