scarcer
Harder to find
Scarcer is the comparative form of scarce—less available, harder to find.
What was once merely uncommon becomes scarcer when supply diminishes or demand increases: Clean water grew scarcer as the drought continued.
Resources, opportunities, and wildlife all become scarcer under pressure.
Acute shortage of something
- paucityInsufficiency of amount
- shortageDeficient supply of necessities
- deficitAmount still owed
- shortfallFailure to reach quota
lack · want · privation · undersupply · depletion · insufficiency · inadequacy · sparsity
Less frequently occurring
- uncommonSeldom occurring or found
- infrequentHappening only occasionally
- sparseThinly scattered or distributed
- seldomOn few occasions
occasional · unusual · exceptional · sporadic · intermittent · few · isolated · atypical
Severely reduced or emptied
- dwindlingProgressively becoming smaller
- shrinkingDecreasing in dimension
- waningGradually decreasing in intensity
- decliningDecreasing in strength
fading · ebbing · receding · vanishing · disappearing · thinning · lessening · reduced
Restricted in extent
- restrictedLimited in scope
- eliteSuperior select group
- selectiveChoosing with care
- privilegedHaving special advantages
members-only · sought-after · coveted · prized · premium · rationed · allocated · reserved
Highly esteemed, greatly valued
- prizedGreatly valued or esteemed
- treasuredRegarded with deep affection
- invaluableBeyond monetary worth
- pricelessToo valuable to quantify
collectible · rare · antique · heirloom · irreplaceable · cherished · coveted · desirable
dearth
Acute shortage of something
shortfall · lack · want · privation · undersupply · depletion · insufficiency · inadequacy · sparsity · meagerness
rarer
Less frequently occurring
- uncommonSeldom occurring or found
- infrequentHappening only occasionally
- sparseThinly scattered or distributed
seldom · occasional · unusual · exceptional · sporadic · intermittent · few · isolated · atypical · elusive
depleted
Severely reduced or emptied
- dwindlingProgressively becoming smaller
- shrinkingDecreasing in dimension
- waningGradually decreasing in intensity
declining · fading · ebbing · receding · vanishing · disappearing · thinning · lessening · reduced · diminished
limited
Restricted in extent
- restrictedLimited in scope
- eliteSuperior select group
- selectiveChoosing with care
privileged · members-only · sought-after · coveted · prized · premium · rationed · allocated · reserved · controlled
precious
Highly esteemed, greatly valued
- prizedGreatly valued or esteemed
- treasuredRegarded with deep affection
- invaluableBeyond monetary worth
priceless · collectible · rare · antique · heirloom · irreplaceable · cherished · coveted · desirable · premium
- make oneself scarceDepart to avoid notice
- making oneself scarceDeliberately becoming unavailable
- made oneself scarceDeparted to avoid notice
- scarce as hen's teethPractically nonexistent
- make yourself scarce
- water scarcityInsufficient freshwater for demand