barely

American  

[bair-lee] / ˈbɛər li /

adverb

1. only just; scarcely; no more than; almost not.

   He had barely enough money to pay for the car.

2. without disguise or concealment; openly.

   They gave the facts to him barely.

3. scantily; meagerly; sparsely.

4. Archaic. merely.

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barely British  

/ ˈbɛəlɪ /

adverb

1. only just; scarcely

   barely enough for their needs

2. informal not quite; nearly

   barely old enough

3. scantily; poorly

   barely furnished

4. archaic openly

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Usage

See hardly.

Etymology

Origin of barely

First recorded before 950; Middle English; Old English bærlīce; bare ¹, -ly

Example Sentences

It is also an oasis for the poachers and their "mist nets", so thin you can barely see them.

From BBC

Yau said fewer than five repairmen like him remain in Hong Kong practising this "barely profitable" umbrella trade.

From Barron's

Despite barely being able to escape out their own half, United still had two huge chances to kill the game off.

From Barron's

Most investment bankers barely have time for life outside of work.

From The Wall Street Journal

Expedia Group scores well on free cash generation and growth, and poorly on popularity, with barely a third of analysts who cover the stock recommending a purchase.

From Barron's

Related Words

• almost
• hardly
• scarcely