Barely

//ˈbɛɹ.li// adv

adv ·Moderate ·College level

Definitions

Adverb
  1. 1
    By a small margin. not-comparable

    "I barely completed my homework. However, I got a score of 5 for it."

  2. 2
    Almost not at all. not-comparable

    "The plane is so far away now I can barely see it."

  3. 3
    Recently, just now. not-comparable

    "I barely got to the store."

  4. 4
    Merely. archaic, not-comparable

    "Now that fire do's not alwayes barely separate the Elementary parts, but sometimes at least alter also the Ingredients of Bodies […]"

  5. 5
    Openly, clearly, plainly. comparable, rare

    "Firſt here is the Reſurrection of our Saviour barely and poſitively affirmed, whom God hath raiſed up."

Adverb
  1. 1
    only a very short time before wordnet
  2. 2
    by a little wordnet
  3. 3
    almost not wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
hardlyscarcelyscantilyhardlyscarcelya bit

Example

More examples

"I had barely got home when the storm broke."

Etymology

From Middle English baarly, bareliche, barely, barly, from Old English bærlīċe, equivalent to bare + -ly. Compare Danish bare (“only, just”), Norwegian bare (“only, just”).

More for "barely"

SynonymsSentencesPronunciationTranslate

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciationBrowse writing guides

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.