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Paltry vs Scarce - What's the difference?

paltry | scarce |

As adjectives the difference between paltry and scarce

is that paltry is trashy, trivial, of little value while scarce is uncommon, rare; difficult to find; insufficient to meet a demand.

As an adverb scarce is

scarcely, only just.

paltry

English

Alternative forms

* (l), (l), (l)

Adjective

(er)
  • trashy, trivial, of little value
  • This is indeed a paltry flyer about a silly product.
    She made some paltry excuse and left.
  • meager; worthless; pitiful; trifling
  • Could someone hope to survive on such a paltry income?
    Student grants these days are paltry , and many students have to take out loans.

    Usage notes

    * Nouns to which "paltry" is often applied: sum, rate, amount, number, price, salary, wages, fellow, pay, excuse, income, gain, compensation.

    Anagrams

    * *

    scarce

    English

    (wikipedia scarce)

    Adjective

    (er)
  • Uncommon, rare; difficult to find; insufficient to meet a demand.
  • * (John Locke)
  • You tell him silver is scarcer now in England, and therefore risen one fifth in value.
  • * , chapter=3
  • , title= Mr. Pratt's Patients , passage=My hopes wa'n't disappointed. I never saw clams thicker than they was along them inshore flats. I filled my dreener in no time, and then it come to me that 'twouldn't be a bad idee to get a lot more, take 'em with me to Wellmouth, and peddle 'em out. Clams was fairly scarce over that side of the bay and ought to fetch a fair price.}}
  • Scantily supplied (with); deficient (in); used with of .
  • * (John Milton)
  • A region scarce of prey.

    Adverb

    (-)
  • Scarcely, only just.
  • * Milton
  • With a scarce well-lighted flame.
  • * 1854 , (Edgar Allen Poe), (The Raven):
  • And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door, That I scarce was sure that I heard you [...].
  • * 1898 , , (Moonfleet) Chapter 4:
  • Yet had I scarce set foot in the passage when I stopped, remembering how once already this same evening I had played the coward, and run home scared with my own fears.
  • * 1931 , William Faulkner, Sanctuary , Vintage 1993, p. 122:
  • Upon the barred and slitted wall the splotched shadow of the heaven tree shuddered and pulsed monstrously in scarce any wind.

    See also

    * make oneself scarce

    Anagrams

    *