barely

adverb

bare·​ly ˈber-lē How to pronounce barely (audio)
Synonyms of barelynext
1
: in a meager manner : plainly
a barely furnished room
2
: scarcely, hardly
barely enough money for lunch

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Barba has cared for six babies, barely three weeks old, and says feeding them takes more than an hour. Itay Hod, CBS News, 31 Mar. 2026 This is Bali in the slow lane, devoid of Ubud‘s notorious traffic jams and souvenir stores, and with barely any other hotels in the surrounding area. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Mar. 2026 The romance between her and Mario is a wisp of a thing that barely registers. Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 31 Mar. 2026 These deep-ocean predators swim through near-freezing Arctic waters at a pace that barely registers. Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for barely

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1513, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of barely was circa 1513

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Cite this Entry

“Barely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barely. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.

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