scarcely

• Adverbe signifiant « à peine » ou « presque pas ». Il indique que quelque chose est à peine vrai ou se produit à peine, souvent avec une connotation négative. Il peut aussi exprimer « certainement pas » lorsqu'il est utilisé pour renforcer une affirmation.

An adverb meaning 'hardly' or 'barely.' It is used to indicate that something is almost not true or almost does not happen, often with a negative connotation. It can also imply 'certainly not' when used for emphasis.

1. Hardly or barelyB2formal

   Used to indicate that something is almost not true or almost does not happen.

   à peine

   • I could scarcely believe my eyes when I saw the results.
   • She had scarcely finished her meal when the phone rang.
   • There is scarcely any difference between the two options.

   Synonymesbarelyhardlyjust

   Antonymesamplyeasilyfullyreadily

2. Certainly notB2formal

   Used to emphasize that something is not the case or is unlikely.

   à peine / guère (sens de « certainement pas »)

   • He would scarcely have agreed to such a risky plan.
   • This is scarcely the time to discuss trivial matters.
   • You can scarcely expect him to apologize after what happened.

   Synonymesby no meanshardly

   Antonymescertainlydefinitelysurely