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 breadthSo as to pass a given point.
by a noseSo as to pass a given point.
by a very small marginSo as to pass a given point.
by the narrowest of marginsSo as to pass a given point.
by the skin of one's teethIn reserve; not for immediate use.
hardlyOnly with great difficulty.
She could hardly sit up.
justVery recently; in the immediate past.
The batter just missed being hit.
narrowlyClosely or carefully.
Narrowly defined tasks.
only justAnd nothing more.
scarceScarcely.
A babe scarce two years old.
scarcelyAlmost 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)

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

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