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 of barely

• 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

But the tireless churn of his storytelling, picking up and depositing little clues of what came before, is the mark of an auteur who has barely scratched the surface of his prowess. — Matthew Ritchie, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026

Keep the accessories sleek and minimal with a structured bag and barely-there flats. — Christina Holevas, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2026

There, the psychological story energized a bedroom where the protagonist could barely move. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 14 Oct. 2026

The two barely speak, but La Parda senses that Lucía is hiding something. — Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1513, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for barely

• unfairly
• fairly
• rarely
• squarely