Words / B2

BAIRL-ee/ˈbeəli/

Barely means only just; almost not: barely finished, barely enough. Hardly is a close synonym; scarcely is a little more literary. Only just is the everyday paraphrase, and barely can sit before a verb or an amount. Do not pile it with a negative (“didn’t barely”) — that is non-standard, and the meaning is almost not, not almost yes.

Meaning

Only just; almost not.

Examples

• “He barely finished the test in time.”
• “We barely made the last train.”
• “There was barely a page of notes after two hours of talk.”

Good to know

only just / almost not. Close: hardly / scarcely. Everyday: only just. Do not combine with another negative.

Near in meaning

hardly

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