barely

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Pronunciation

• (British) IPA: /ˈbɛə(ɹ).li/
• (America) IPA: /ˈbɛɹ.li/

Adverb

barely (not comparable)

1. (degree) By a small margin.
   • 1748, David Hume, Enquiries concerning the human understanding and concerning the principles of moral, Oxford University Press (1973), section 8:

     It becomes, therefore, no inconsiderable part of science barely to know the different operations of mind,

   • 1925, Walter Anthony and Tom Reed (titles), Rupert Julian (director), The Phantom of the Opera, silent movie

     ‘It is barely possible you may hear of a ghost, a Phantom of the Opera!’

2. (degree) Almost not at all.

   The plane is so far away now I can barely see it.

   Yes, it is barely visible.

3. (archaic) merely.

Synonyms

• (degree) hardly, scarcely
• (barely, almost not or not quite) hardly, just, only just, scarcely

Translations

• French: à peine
• German: kaum
• Italian: appena
• Portuguese: apenas
• Russian: едва́
• Spanish: apenas

Translations

• Portuguese: mal
• Russian: е́ле
• Spanish: apenas

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