Dictionary
barely
adverb bare·ly
: hardly or scarcely
—used to say that someone or something only has a specified small size, age, length, etc.
—used to say that something reached a specifed condition or happened only a short time before
Full Definition of BARELY
1
: in a meager manner : plainly <a barely furnished room>
See barely defined for English-language learners
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First Known Use of BARELY
before 12th century
Related to BARELY
- Antonyms
- considerably, significantly, substantially, vastly, well
BARELY Defined for Kids
barely
adverb bare·ly \ˈber-lē\
Definition of BARELY for Kids
1
: almost not <The old man's voice was barely audible now. — Ellen Raskin, The Westing Game>
2
: with nothing to spare : by a narrow margin <I'd barely enough to eat.> <She barely passed the test.>
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