barely

adverb

bare·​ly ˈber-lē How to pronounce barely (audio)
Synonyms of barely
1
: in a meager manner : plainly
a barely furnished room
2
: scarcely, hardly
barely enough money for lunch

Synonyms of barely

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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But now the story has fallen apart, and Fox is barely interested. — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026 Entire product categories that were barely imaginable in 2020 are now weekend projects such as a tutor that converses in Mandarin, a paralegal that drafts and redlines, and a designer that produces forty variations before lunch. — Michael Wee, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026 On the fourth pitch of the at-bat, Yamamoto turned to his splitter for the first time, barely clipping the inside edge of the strike zone. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2026 Bloom’s last stand Chaim Bloom’s final trade deadline as Red Sox chief baseball officer barely made a ripple. — Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 2 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for barely

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1513, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of barely was circa 1513

Rhymes for barely

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Browse Nearby Words

bare-knuckle
barely
baren
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Cite this Entry

“Barely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barely. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of barely for Spanish Speakers

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