barely

[ bair-lee ]

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.

barely

/ 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

Usage Note

See hardly.

Usage

See hardly

Word History and Origins

Origin of barely¹

First recorded before 950; Middle English; Old English bærlīce; bare ¹, -ly

Example Sentences

Their labor is for the most part barely compensated, at rates far below minimum wage.

From Los Angeles Times

Mr Dujarric said access to the three barely functional hospitals there also remained severely restricted, amid what he called "desperate shortages" of medical supplies and fuel.

From BBC

I am so disgusted with Matt Gaetz and the story of his long-time interest in sex with underage girls that I can barely stand to type his name.

From Salon

That barely made a dent in the backlog, however.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s hard to know what Xi thinks – he has said very little about their relationship and barely mentions Trump by name.

From BBC

Related Words

• almost
• hardly
• scarcely