Synonyms of barely

barely

adverb

ˈber-lē 

as in slightly

by a very small margin

we barely made it to the church on time

Synonyms & Similar Words

• slightly
• just
• narrowly
• hardly
• scarcely
• almost
• marginally
• nearly
• somewhat
• minimally
• by the skin of one's teeth
• minutely
• closely
• approximately
• roughly
• partly
• scantly
• more or less
• plus or minus

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• well
• significantly
• substantially
• considerably
• quite
• easily
• definitely
• vastly
• plainly
• fully
• positively
• completely
• unquestionably
• greatly
• generously
• abundantly
• copiously

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of barely

What’s less arguable is the quality of Kinnear’s performance, a fine study in comic understatement at first that modulates into a delicately limned portrait of pain barely stifled. — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 21 July 2026

Complete your ensemble with a matching pair of loafers, preferably in barely-there mesh—easy-breezy, minimalist chic, just like that. — India Roby, Glamour, 20 July 2026

My show lasts like two hours and that’s barely the first song. — Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026

Sunsets were transformed into an ethereal red, while the sun was barely visible at noon through the pollution in Boston, New York and Washington. — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 20 July 2026