barely
Americanadverb
-
only just; scarcely; no more than; almost not.
He had barely enough money to pay for the car.
-
without disguise or concealment; openly.
They gave the facts to him barely.
-
scantily; meagerly; sparsely.
-
Archaic. merely.
adverb
-
only just; scarcely
barely enough for their needs
-
informal not quite; nearly
barely old enough
-
scantily; poorly
barely furnished
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Tears of a Tiger
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Thirteen Reasons Why
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
The bike's owner posted the whole scene on the @ma_pauvre_lucette Instagram account, saying that "granddad's old bicycle" had barely been parked for half an hour when the swarm arrived.
From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026
The theory is that when the bands compress or shrink toward the average, it means the yields are barely moving and a pronounced External link move in either direction is likely.
From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026
The Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 weighs just 3.4 ounces, barely more than a deck of cards, for a men’s size 9.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026
“Let’s not forget that the suspect didn’t get very far. He barely broke the perimeter,” Blanche said.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2026
I barely said anything to my parents, even though they asked me a few times what was going on.
From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott
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.
