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

The three-term Republican attorney general vigorously sought to oust Phelan in the GOP primary, forcing a runoff that the outgoing House leader barely survived. —John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025

But fans do seem to be casting a wary eye as the Blackhawks stare down another year of barely getting to the salary-cap floor, while ticket prices remain sky high. —Scott Powers, New York Times, 29 July 2025

But the concoction was barely thought of for decades before enjoying a bit of a resurgence following the turn of the century when craft cocktails saw a boom in popularity. —John Kell, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025

Such sugar reached England in very small quantities, being so expensive that it was barely even eaten. —Literary Hub, 29 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1513, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for barely

• unfairly
• fairly
• rarely
• squarely