barely
Americanadverb
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only just; scarcely; no more than; almost not.
He had barely enough money to pay for the car.
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without disguise or concealment; openly.
They gave the facts to him barely.
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scantily; meagerly; sparsely.
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Archaic. merely.
adverb
-
only just; scarcely
barely enough for their needs
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informal not quite; nearly
barely old enough
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scantily; poorly
barely furnished
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archaic openly
Usage
See hardly.
Etymology
Origin of barely
First recorded before 950; Middle English; Old English bærlīce; see bare 1, -ly
Explanation
Something barely there is hardly there at all. If there are barely any leaves on the trees, then winter is right around the corner. Barely is a word meaning hardly, nearly, scarcely, or marginally. If there is barely a dusting of snow, there is hardly any snow at all. If your team barely won a game, then they came really close to losing. If you barely missed an ice cream truck, then you missed it by seconds. This is a word for near misses and close calls.
Vocabulary lists containing barely
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 26–31
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Tears of a Tiger
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Thirteen Reasons Why
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Barely four weeks after waving his goodbyes, O'Neill was back and Hearts were six points clear, with both sides 20 matches into the campaign.
From BBC • May 15, 2026
Barely any tanker traffic has been transiting the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries 20% of the world’s oil.
From Barron's • Mar. 15, 2026
Barely a minute or two ticked away at Galen Center last month,but USC freshman Alijah Arenas already was exhausted.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2026
Barely two weeks ago, he was on great form at the Masters.
From BBC • Feb. 4, 2026
Barely a half hour later, my door opens, and I look up to see Hideo walk into my room, flanked by his bodyguards.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
