This adverb expresses the idea of something achieved with difficulty, pain, or barely accomplished. In Luke 9:39, it describes the demon's reluctant departure from the afflicted boy—it seizes him and scarcely leaves him, bruising him in the process. The multilingual glosses emphasize difficulty and scarcity (Spanish difícilmente, French avec peine). Classical usage consistently conveys the sense of toil, hardship, or narrow margin in accomplishing something.