Read along with the three podcasts, or open the full dictionary entry for Scarce for the definition, Arabic meaning, synonyms and example sentences.
Narrator: Today's word is "Scarce" — adjective, pronounced /skeəs/, with the stress on "scarce".
Narrator: Scarce means not enough to meet demand, hard to find.
Narrator: In plain English, scarce means in short supply.
Narrator: It comes from old French escars, from Latin excerpere, to pick out.
Narrator: A common collocation is "scarce resources", which describes limited supplies.
Narrator: It differs from "rare", because rare means naturally uncommon, while scarce means not enough for demand.
Narrator: In a second sense, "make yourself scarce" means leave quickly.
Narrator: Economics, ecology, retail and everyday speech all rely on the word.
Narrator: So remember: scarce means there isn't enough.
Speaker A: Why can't I find eggs anywhere?
Speaker B: They're SCARCE this week! From old French escars.
Speaker A: A shortage?
Speaker B: Bird flu, sadly.
Speaker A: Example sentences?
Speaker B: "Water is scarce in summer", ecology. "Tickets are scarce", events. "The kids made themselves scarce", tidying time.
Speaker A: Common mistakes?
Speaker B: Say "scarce", not "scarse", and use scarcely for the adverb.
Speaker A: Close relatives?
Speaker B: Rare is its cousin, sparse its twin, and limited an alternative — yet scarce keeps its precious charm!
Speaker B: Let's use "scarce" in AI prompts — useful for stock management and economics.
Speaker A: How for stock?
Speaker B: Alerts.
Prompt: Alert the buyer when an item becomes scarce based on sales and supplier delays.
Speaker A: And economics?
Speaker B: Explain.
Prompt: Explain why prices rise when goods become scarce with a simple example.
Speaker A: Could it help planning?
Speaker B: Yes, for resources.
Prompt: Allocate scarce meeting rooms fairly across five teams.
Speaker A: One more?
Speaker B: Water.
Prompt: Suggest water-saving tips for a region where water is scarce.
Scarce — meaning in Arabic & definition More S courses GL Dictionary