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

This is barely a description of what actually happens, but more of an understanding of what lies beneath the surface of the plot, the emotional core of the adventure at hand, maybe even what critics sometimes call the driving force of a novel. — Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026

During the first years of the pandemic, when rates were hitting multiple record lows, the ARM share was barely 3%. — Diana Olick, CNBC, 23 Sep. 2026

That’s a fantastic sign for Birdville, a team that barely missed the postseason last year. — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Sep. 2026

And yet, it could be argued that this list of likely candidates barely scratches the surface. — Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 22 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1513, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for barely

• unfairly
• fairly
• rarely
• squarely