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

Vicki could barely hide her disgust that Luann’s antics get more respect than her insurance business. — Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026

What did Target, Starbucks, and Nike have in common barely a year ago? — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2026

Formulated with 40% water and light-reflecting pigments, the foundation has a silky, barely there feel and instantly hydrates skin for up to 12 hours. — Jenny Berg, Vogue, 24 Aug. 2026

In 2001, up the East coast, a kid barely out of his teens would begin a long and winding coaching career. — Miami Herald, 23 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1513, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for barely

• unfairly
• fairly
• rarely
• squarely