barely

adverb

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

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 One Central Asian Ambassador privately admitted to me that advanced semiconductors are illicitly pouring into Russia from his country, with barely any resistance or even detection from any government officials. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 22 Mar. 2024 It’s been barely two years since Adam Weitsman picked up a chic turnkey penthouse in the Miami suburb of Sunny Isles Beach after spotting photos of it on Instagram. Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 22 Mar. 2024 When the aircraft touched down in Harbor Grace, the town could barely contain its excitement, especially for the sophisticated aviatrix. Shoshi Parks, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Mar. 2024 His central European country is barely the size of Maine. Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Mar. 2024 Rank-and-file worker wages have barely kept up with inflation, while CEO pay has rocketed into the stratosphere. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024 There are barely any countries with large populations at the top. Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2024 No one talks about how Glen was going on the road with his band, and barely making any money. Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 18 Mar. 2024 She’s tried three times to pass it, and always barely misses. Petula Dvorak, Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'barely.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near barely

Cite this Entry

“Barely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barely. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on barely

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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