barely

adverb

bare·​ly ˈber-lē 

1

: in a meager manner : plainly

a barely furnished room

2

: scarcely, hardly

barely enough money for lunch

Synonyms of barely

• slightly
• just
• narrowly
• hardly

Examples of barely in a Sentence

We barely spoke the entire time we were in the car.

There are barely any new features in this software.

There is barely a difference between the two.

Recent Examples on the Web

The story is set against the backdrop of the Swiss Alps, as Holmes is found barely alive in the ice. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026

One woman writing for Hers described spending about an hour working up the courage for her first weight-loss shot, only to find the thin needle barely hurt. — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 8 Oct. 2026

One of those weird lizard things from NBC’s very similar Surface, a 2005 drama mostly, if barely, remembered by television critics? — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026

There is no rear window, but then there’s no rear window in a Polestar 4, and to be frank, barely a view out the back of a Corvette or even a Land Rover Defender when the spare tire is on the back. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 7 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1513, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for barely

• unfairly
• fairly
• rarely
• squarely