BARELY: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for BARELY?

Need another word that means the same as “barely”? Find 11 synonyms and 30 related words for “barely” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Barely” are: hardly, scarce, scarcely, just, only just, narrowly, by the skin of one's teeth, by a hair's breadth, by a very small margin, by the narrowest of margins, by a nose

Barely as an Adverb

Definitions of "Barely" as an adverb

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “barely” as an adverb can have the following definitions:

• Only a very short time before.
• In a simple and sparse way.
• Almost not.
• Openly; explicitly.
• By a little.
• In a sparse or scanty way.
• Only just; almost not.

Synonyms of "Barely" as an adverb (11 Words)

by a hair's breadth	So as to pass a given point.
by a nose	So as to pass a given point.
by a very small margin	So as to pass a given point.
by the narrowest of margins	So as to pass a given point.
by the skin of one's teeth	In reserve; not for immediate use.
hardly	Only with great difficulty. She could hardly sit up.
just	Very recently; in the immediate past. The batter just missed being hit.
narrowly	Closely or carefully. Narrowly defined tasks.
only just	And nothing more.
scarce	Scarcely. A babe scarce two years old.
scarcely	Almost not. Her voice is so low I can scarcely hear what she is saying.

Usage Examples of "Barely" as an adverb

• We were so far back in the theater, we could barely read the subtitles.
• It was barely 5 a.m.
• She nodded, barely able to speak.
• She barely seemed to notice him.
• Their barely furnished house.
• The network has barely 5 percent of viewers.
• A barely perceptible pause.
• They had barely sat down before forty policemen swarmed in.

Associations of "Barely" (30 Words)

anymore	At the present or from now on; usually used with a negative. Alice doesn t live here anymore.
coincidentally	At the same time. The three are coincidentally reunited when captured by the enemy.
deficient	Insufficient or inadequate. A deficient education.
frequently	Many times at short intervals. They go abroad frequently.
happenstance	An event that might have been arranged although it was really accidental. It was just happenstance that I happened to be there.
hardly	Almost not. The little house in which he lived was hardly bigger than a hut.
infrequently	Not often; rarely. He cooks but only infrequently.
insufficient	Not enough; inadequate. Insufficient funds.
just	Of an opinion or appraisal well founded justifiable. They were just interested in making money.
meagerly	To a meager degree or in a meager manner. These voices are meagerly represented at the conference.
occasional	Employed for a particular occasion or on an irregular basis. An occasional worker.
occasionally	At infrequent or irregular intervals; now and then. Open areas are only occasionally interrupted by clumps of trees.
often	In many instances. We often met over a cup of coffee.
rare	Unusually good or remarkable. It s rare to see a house so little altered.
rarely	To an unusual degree; exceptionally. You can write rarely now after all your schooling.
rareness	Noteworthy scarcity.
rarity	A rare thing, especially one having particular value. The rarity of the condition.
scant	Provide grudgingly or in insufficient amounts. Companies with scant regard for the safety of future generations.
scanty	Small or insufficient in quantity or amount. The women looked cold in their scanty bodices.
scarce	Scarcely. Would have scarce arrived before she would have found some excuse to leave.
scarcely	Used to suggest that something is unlikely to be or certainly not the case. They scarcely ever used the emergency generator.
seldom	Not often; rarely. Islay is seldom visited by tourists.
sometimes	On certain occasions or in certain cases but not always. Sometimes I want to do things on my own.
sparse	Not dense. Information on earnings is sparse.
sparsely	In a thinly dispersed manner; in small numbers. A sparsely furnished apartment.
sporadically	Occasionally or at irregular intervals. He worked sporadically at part time jobs.
tightly	Securely fixed or fastened. A tightly sealed container.
typically	In a way that is characteristic of a particular person or thing. Typically she showed no alarm.
uncommonly	Exceptionally. He is an uncommonly good talker.
unusual	Not habitually or commonly occurring or done. A scene of unusual beauty.