barely

Word parts

bare + -ly

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA ^(key): /ˈbɛə(r).li/
• (US) IPA ^(key): /ˈbɛr.li/

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

• Audio (US)

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• Hyphenation: bare‧ly

Adverb

Positive barely

Comparative none

Superlative none

1. If you can barely do something, you can do it only with great difficulty or effort.
   • Synonym: hardly

   After the accident, she was barely able to stand.

2. If something is barely some way, it is almost not so at all.

   The house was barely visible in the distance.

   With all the troubles, the business was barely surviving.

3. If something has barely happened, almost no time has passed since it happened.

   The alarm had barely rung when he was out of bed.

4. If there is barely some amount or number, it's not much and you would expect more.

   The church had seating for 200, but barely 20 had come.

Related words

• bare