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Preposition after adjective

Scarce in, for, at, on, or of?

Scarce is most commonly used with in to describe limited amounts within a place or area. Other prepositions are more limited or belong to separate sentence structures.

Quick answer

Common uses of scarce

Use scarce in for shortages within a place, field, or resource. Scarce for sometimes appears in expressions about lacking something, but scarce in is usually more natural. Scarce at, scarce on, and scarce of are generally not standard fixed patterns after scarce.

Water is scarce in the region.
Skilled workers are scarce in rural areas.
Fresh fruit was scarce during the winter.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
scarce in + place/field

Where is something limited?

Use scarce in to show that something exists in limited amounts within a place, industry, or area.

Housing is scarce in the city centre.
Opportunities are scarce in that sector.
2
scarce during + time

When is something limited?

Use time expressions separately to describe periods of shortage.

Food became scarce during the drought.
Jobs were scarce during the recession.
3
scarce for + resource

Limited use meaning lacking something

Scarce for appears occasionally in expressions about lacking resources, but many speakers prefer short of or lacking.

The company is scarce for cash.
Some hospitals were scarce for supplies.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
scarce in
Clean water is scarce in some regions.
limited within a place or context
scarce for
The team was scarce for experienced staff.
less common; meaning lacking something
scarce at
Tickets were scarce at the venue.
At usually introduces a place adjunct, not a fixed adjective-preposition pattern
scarce on
The shop was scarce on details.
Scarce on is not a standard pattern; short on is the usual expression
scarce of
The area is scarce of rainfall.
Scarce of is nonstandard in current English

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using scarce on instead of short on

English normally uses short on, not scarce on.

✕ The report is scarce on evidence. ✓ The report is short on evidence.

Using scarce of

Scarce of is not standard in modern English.

✕ The village is scarce of resources. ✓ The village is scarce in resources.

Confusing scarce in and scarce for

Scarce in is more natural for shortages within a place or area.

✕ Doctors are scarce for rural towns. ✓ Doctors are scarce in rural towns.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. Affordable housing is scarce ___ this area.
2. The company was scarce ___ cash after the merger.
3. The report is short ___ details.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the most common preposition after scarce?

In is the most common choice, especially for shortages within places or fields.

Is scarce for correct?

It can appear in some contexts meaning lacking something, but it is less common than scarce in or short of.

Can I say scarce of?

No. Scarce of is not standard modern English.

sacred-to-in-by-of, for "sad for" or "sad about"? "safe for", "safe from" or "safe in"? sanguine about, in, of, on or for? "satisfactory to" or "satisfactory for"? satisfied with, of, by, in or on? "satisfying for" or "satisfying to"? scared of, to, about, for or by? "scary for" or "scary to"? "scathing about", "scathing in" or "scathing of"? "sceptical about" or "sceptical of"? searchable by, on, in, via or through?

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