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

He made a point of promoting and signing a law with increased enforcement powers but barely used them.

From The Wall Street Journal

"Without internet or phone lines we had no idea what was happening to anyone. We could barely get calls through just to get bits of news."

From BBC

In January, net views on current business conditions "dwindled to just barely positive," while perceptions of employment conditions also weakened, The Conference Board said.

From Barron's

This one she barely whispers, her voice so quiet I can’t hear her.

From Literature

“But, Papa, they’re our neighbors, and we barely see them at all anymore.”

From Literature

Related Words

• almost
• hardly
• scarcely