barely
8 synonyms and 1 antonym for barely, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Adv — Only just; by the smallest possible margin.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Antonyms
How to use barely
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
barely made it
barely enough
barely noticeable
Etymology
From Old English bærlīċe, built from "bare" plus the adverb-forming suffix "-ly" — originally meaning something closer to "openly" before it shifted to mean "just barely."
Full origin of barely →Frequently asked questions
What does “barely” mean?
The word “barely” means only just; by the smallest possible margin. In plain terms, just barely, by a hair, almost not.
How do you pronounce “barely”?
“Barely” is pronounced BEH-uh-lee (/ˈbɛɹ.li/ in IPA).
How do you use “barely” in a sentence?
Here is “barely” used in a sentence: “She barely passed the exam.”
What part of speech is “barely”?
“Barely” is an adverb.
Where does the word “barely” come from?
The word “barely” comes from Old English. From Old English bærlīċe, built from "bare" plus the adverb-forming suffix "-ly" — originally meaning something closer to "openly" before it shifted to mean "just barely.".
Is “barely” a common word?
“Barely” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
How many meanings does “barely” have?
“Barely” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: only just; by the smallest possible margin.
What is the difference between "barely" and "hardly"?
Both mean almost not at all, and often swap freely; "I could barely hear" and "I could hardly hear" mean much the same. The slight difference is emphasis: "barely" points to only just reaching a threshold, while "hardly" leans towards not reaching it. Both carry a limiting, near-negative force.
What is the difference between "barely" and "nearly"?
They can be near-opposites in outcome. "Barely made the train" means you just caught it, succeeding by a whisker. "Nearly made the train" means you just missed it, almost succeeding but failing. Barely marks a narrow success; nearly marks a narrow failure.
What is an example of "barely" in a sentence?
"She had barely enough money for the ticket" means she had just enough, with nothing to spare. Other examples: "He was barely awake," "the paint had barely dried," and "we barely made it in time." Each shows something only just true, by the smallest margin.
