scarce
Hard to find because there is very little of it.
scarce in a sentence
- Water was so scarce in the desert that every single drop had to be saved.
- Parking spaces are scarce near the stadium on match days, so we always take the train.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to scarce?
- Aabundant
- Brare
- Cplentiful
- Dcommon
Show the answer
B: rare. The other three mean the opposite of scarce.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to scarce?
- Arare
- Blimited
- Cplentiful
Show the answer
C: plentiful. The other three mean nearly the same as scarce.
Words that mean something similar
rare, limited
Words that mean the opposite
plentiful, abundant, common
More words about size & amount
- significant: Big or important enough to be worth noticing.
- sparse: Spread out thinly, with only a small amount in each place.
- stupendous: Amazingly large or impressive.
- substantial: Large enough to matter.
- sufficient: As much as is needed; enough.
- superfluous: More than is needed, and so not necessary.
- superior: Better, higher or more important than others.
- surplus: An amount left over when you have more than you need.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test