barely

adverb

bare·​ly ˈber-lē 

1

: in a meager manner : plainly

a barely furnished room

2

: scarcely, hardly

barely enough money for lunch

Synonyms

• slightly
• just
• narrowly
• hardly

Examples of barely in a Sentence

We barely spoke the entire time we were in the car.

There are barely any new features in this software.

There is barely a difference between the two.

Recent Examples on the Web

Likewise, Halliburton’s net income plunged down to a barely profitable $18 million—including hefty impairment charges—from $571 million, although revenues only fell 2%. —Jordan Blum, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2025

The high heel pump is made from soft, creased leather and features an ultra-dainty, barely-there gold chain ankle strap. —Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2025

However, perhaps my biggest issue with Javvy’s protein coffee is that the single serving only contains 10g of protein, very much on the low end and barely breaking above the protein in a coffee shop latte. —Adam Campbell-Schmitt, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Oct. 2025

One downside is that Ford has done barely anything to differentiate the cockpit from that of even the cheapest Mustangs. —Tim Stevens, Robb Report, 23 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1513, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for barely

• unfairly
• fairly
• rarely
• squarely