barely

[US]/ˈbeəli/
[UK]/ˈberli/
Frequency: Very High

Translation

adv. just enough; nearly not; openly; insufficiently.

Phrases & Collocations

just barely

barely enough

barely visible

barely audible

Example Sentences

he was barely eighteen.

he was barely scathed.

The room is barely furnished.

The blade barely broke the skin.

In August the heat is barely tolerable.

their barely furnished house.

there was barely enough food to go round.

his violence was barely leashed.

The skimpy rug barely covers the floor.

could barely see the road in the fog.

a barely furnished room.

We barely skinned by.

They had barely time to catch the plane.

We barely had time to catch the train.

His argument was barely intelligible.

The shore was barely visible through the fog.

His French was barely comprehensible.

barely enough income on which to exist.

Real-world Examples

The woman was barely in her 20s and barely breathing.

Source: TED Talks (Video Version) Bilingual Selection

Barely done, barely done. It is good for you.

Source: The story of Hachiko the loyal dog.

And so it's barely pumping any blood.

Source: Osmosis - Cardiovascular

I can barely keep my eyes open.

Source: The Best Mom

" Just" can mean " merely, " " barely" or " exactly" .

Source: VOA Slow English - Word Stories

Yeah, but just barely. Is this how loud you were talking?

Source: Modern Family - Season 01

Your boundless energy, which you could barely contain.

Source: 100 Classic English Essays for Recitation

She was barely 30 when she died.

Source: Desperate Housewives Season 7

He barely survived and ended up with partial amnesia.

Source: Steve Jobs Biography

The moon barely dims as it enters this part.

Source: 2018 Best Hits Compilation

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