barely
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
by a very small amount or margin.
by a narrow margin; only just. Often used to describe a situation where an action almost failed to occur.
Simple“The music was so quiet that I could barely hear it from the next room.”
In context“The marathon runner barely crossed the finish line before collapsing from exhaustion, having pushed his body to its absolute physical limit.”
UsageUsually placed before the main verb or after the first auxiliary verb.
PitfallI didn't barely hear him. I barely heard him.Barely has a negative meaning, so you do not need 'not' or 'didn't' with it.
Antonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
used to say that something is very small or almost nothing.
to a minimal or negligible degree; almost not at all.
Simple“He had barely any money left in his bank account after paying the rent.”
In context“The evidence provided was barely sufficient to support such a controversial theory, leading many experts to remain skeptical of the findings.”
UsageCommonly modifies adjectives or verbs to show a lack of intensity.
Antonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
only a very short time ago.
only just; recently. Often used with 'had' to describe an event that happened immediately before another.
Simple“We had barely sat down to eat when the phone started ringing.”
In context“The sun had barely risen above the horizon when the first scouts returned to camp with news of the approaching army.”
UsageOften used in the construction 'had barely... when'.
“Photograph: Nick Sommerlad “Poor man, he lived there for more than 60 years and barely moved for the last 20,” the new owner said.”
“I was eight when I was given The Water-Babies by Charles Kingsley, after being moved from my grandmother’s care to live with my mother and her husband, who I barely knew.”
From Middle English baarly, bareliche, barely, barly, from Old English bærlīċe, equivalent to bare + -ly. Compare Danish bare (“only, just”), Norwegian bare (“only, just”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.