Meaning of scarcely In English

• 0 almost not:

  • I was scarcely able to move my arm after the accident.

  • I could scarcely believe it when she said she wanted to marry me.

  • I had scarcely sat down/Scarcely had I sat down to eat when the phone rang.

• 1 certainly not:

  • I'd scarcely have done it if I didn't think it was absolutely necessary!

  • He's only two - you can scarcely blame him for behaving badly.

• 2 only just or almost not:

  • I could scarcely move my arm after the accident.

• 3 certainly not:

  • He would scarcely have broken it on purpose.