scarcer

Scarcer is the comparative form of scarce, used to describe a greater degree of scarcity. Scarce means something is insufficient in amount or availability, and scarcer denotes that this insufficiency is greater in comparison with another situation or time.

Usage notes: Scarcer typically modifies nouns directly, as in scarcer resources, or appears after a linking verb: Water is scarcer this year than last year. It is common in journalism, economics, ecology, and policy discussions when comparing two or more conditions. While scarcer is the standard form for one-syllable adjectives, some formal contexts may still use more scarce, though this is less common in contemporary usage.

Examples: Groundwater became scarcer during the drought. Attention was scarcer in the crisis than in ordinary times. As supplies dwindled, certain nutrients became scarcer in the market, affecting prices and availability.

Limitations: The word describes relative, not absolute, deficiency. It implies a comparison in degree and should be used where two or more situations are being contrasted. For non-technical writing, scarcer is generally preferred over more scarce.

See also: scarce, scarcity.