barely en · ADV
Pronunciation
- audio Connecticut
- /ˈbiəli/ New Zealand, cheer–chair merger
- /ˈbeɾ.le/ (Scotland)
- /ˈbɜː(ɹ)lɪ/ Lancashire, fair–fur merger
- /ˈbeəli/ (New-Zealand) without the cheer–chair merger
- /ˈbeɹ.li/ (US) without the Mary–marry–merry merger
- /ˈbeː.li/ (Australia)
- /ˈbɛə.li/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /-lɪ/ (Scotland)
- /ˈbɛːlɪj/ (British, Southern, Standard)
- (Texas) audio
- /ˈbɛɹ.li/ (Canada, General-American)
- /-li/ (Scotland)
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
From Middle English baarly, bareliche, barely, barly, from Old English bærlīċe, equivalent to bare + -ly. Compare Danish bare (“only, just”), Norwegian bare (“only, just”).
Meanings
-
(not-comparable, qualifier:degree) By a small margin.
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!’
I barely completed my homework. However, I got a score of 5 for it.
It becomes, therefore, no inconsiderable part of science barely to know the different operations of mind,
1748, [David Hume], Philosophical Essays Concerning Human Understanding, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, part VIII:As our train to Paris dashed through the labyrynthine flyovers at Porchefontaine, barely a mile from Versailles, the 75 m.p.h. limit was already almost attained.
1961 November, H. G. Ellison, P. G. Barlow, “Journey through France: Part One”, in Trains Illustrated, page 670:
-
(not-comparable, qualifier:degree) Almost not at all.
Yes, it is barely visible.
The plane is so far away now I can barely see it.
In contrast to what was to come, City were barely allowed any time to settle on the ball in the opening exchanges, with Ashley Young prominent and drawing heavy fouls from Micah Richards and James Milner.
2011 October 23, Phil McNulty, “Man Utd 1 - 6 Man City”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 07 Apr 2018:
-
(not-comparable) Recently, just now.
I barely got to the store.
-
(archaic, not-comparable) Merely.
Now that fire do's not alwayes barely separate the Elementary parts, but sometimes at least alter also the Ingredients of Bodies […]
1661, Robert Boyle, The Sceptical Chymist, page 29:
-
(comparable, rare) Openly, clearly, plainly.
Religion intervenes in the sense that it offers precepts, a code of behavior, for the guidance of believers; poetry, if written in terms of ideals and attitudes which are encompassed by religion, offers not precepts but a dramatic presentation of values. The precepts are stated barely and directly.
1948, William Van O’Connor, “The Employment of Myths”, in Sense and Sensibility in Modern Poetry, Chicago, Ill.: The University of Chicago Press, page 15:Remember, I haven’t tried to embroider; I’m just laying the facts barely before you—as barely as I can—to make what you please out of.
1918 October, Arthur Johnson, “The Little Family”, in Harper’s Monthly Magazine, volume CXXXVII, number 821, New York, N.Y.; London: Harper & Brothers, page 730, column 2:And the same feeling appears in the following reign; in 1380 the commons petitioned against the plurality of wars; from time to time we have seen them vigorously endeavouring to limit, direct, and audit the expenditure on the wars, and even attempting to draw distinctions between the national and royal interests in the maintenance of the fortresses of Gascony and Brittany; but when the question is put barely before them they avoid committing themselves.
1875, William Stubbs, “Royal Prerogative and Parliamentary Authority”, in The Constitutional History of England in Its Origin and Development (Clarendon Press Series), volume II, Oxford, Oxfordshire: At the Clarendon Press, page 602:Firſt here is the Reſurrection of our Saviour barely and poſitively affirmed, whom God hath raiſed up.
a. 1671, John Hacket, “The First Sermon upon the Resurrection”, in A Century of Sermons upon Several Remarkable Subjects: […], London: […] Andrew Clark for Robert Scott, […], published 1675, page 549:The term “brief” may appear somewhat inappropriate, as the legal brief is often a bulky document, but the sense is rather that the ideas are stated barely, without elaboration or persuasive enforcement.
1920, John Mantle Clapp, “Clear Thinking—Testing Your Thought”, in Talking Business (Language for Men of Affairs; I), New York, N.Y.: The Ronald Press Company, page 432:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| most barely | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more barely | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Synonyms
hardly (degree) · just (barely, almost not or not quite) · scarcely (barely, almost not or not quite) · hardly (barely, almost not or not quite) · only just (barely, almost not or not quite) · scarcely (degree)
Translations (128)
sh sȁmo (by a small margin) · sc azìgu (by a small margin) · no så vidt (by a small margin) · es con las justas (by a small margin) · gd air èiginn (almost not at all) · ang unēaþe (almost not at all) · fr à peine (by a small margin) · mk одвај (by a small margin) · es a malavés (almost not at all) · oj agaawaa (by a small margin) · fi nipin napin (almost not at all) · cs téměř vůbec (almost not at all) · sdc aìzu (by a small margin) · ru почти́ не (almost not at all) · sc accalaítzu (by a small margin) · pt apenas (by a small margin) · es de papayita (almost not at all) · sk sotva (by a small margin) · la vix (almost not at all) · sv precis (by a small margin) · es a malavés (by a small margin) · sh са̏мо (by a small margin) · fi töin tuskin (by a small margin) · lv tikko (by a small margin) · es malavez (almost not at all) · uk ті́льки (by a small margin) · acw ياالله (by a small margin) · ja ぎりぎり (by a small margin) · es malavez (by a small margin) · nl amper (by a small margin) · ro de abia (by a small margin) · it a malapena (almost not at all) · grc μόλις (by a small margin) · es a malavez (almost not at all) · pl ledwie (almost not at all) · fr à peine (almost not at all) · se illá (almost not at all) · fi täpärästi (by a small margin) · hy հազիվ (by a small margin) · hu épphogy (by a small margin) · ko 겨우 (by a small margin) · ca a penes (by a small margin) · ajp بالكاد (by a small margin) · eo apenaŭ (by a small margin) · is varla (almost not at all) · tr güç bela (by a small margin) · pl tylko (by a small margin) · yi קוים (by a small margin) · fa بزحمت (by a small margin) · es aína (by a small margin) · cu ѥдъва (by a small margin) · gl aínda ben non (almost not at all) · yue 僅僅 /仅仅 (by a small margin) · ru е́ле-е́ле (by a small margin) · es apenas (almost not at all) · es a malavez (by a small margin) · es por poco (by a small margin) · be ледзь (by a small margin) · it appena (by a small margin) · ca amb prou feines (by a small margin) · hu alig (by a small margin) · be то́лькі (by a small margin) · se illá (by a small margin) · cu ѥдва (by a small margin) · fi juuri ja juuri (almost not at all) · ru лишь (by a small margin) · acw يا دوب (by a small margin) · cmn 僅僅 /仅仅 (by a small margin) · sl samo (by a small margin) · uk ле́две (by a small margin) · es con las justas (almost not at all) · de kaum (by a small margin) · bg едва́ (by a small margin) · sv knappt (almost not at all) · sl kọ̑maj (by a small margin) · bg са́мо (by a small margin) · uz zo’rg’a (almost not at all) · ru едва́ (by a small margin) · he בקושי (by a small margin) · la vix (by a small margin) · fi hädin tuskin (by a small margin) · no nesten ikke (almost not at all) · sh jȅdva (by a small margin) · fa بسختی (by a small margin) · cs sotva (by a small margin) · de kaum (almost not at all) · fi juuri ja juuri (by a small margin) · sc izu (by a small margin) · pl ledwo (almost not at all) · nl nauwelijks (by a small margin) · ajp أنجق (by a small margin) · li amper (by a small margin) · pl ledwie (by a small margin) · es apenas (by a small margin) · bg едва́ (almost not at all) · de gerade noch (almost not at all) · tr zar zor (by a small margin) · yi קוים (almost not at all) · es malavés (by a small margin) · nl kuim (by a small margin) · li koum (by a small margin) · hu alig (almost not at all) · ka ძლივს (almost not at all) · io apene (by a small margin) · ar بِٱلْكَاد (by a small margin) · pl ledwo (by a small margin) · li hèllik (by a small margin) · uk лише́ (by a small margin) · es malavés (almost not at all) · fi tuskin (by a small margin) · pt mal (almost not at all) · fi tuskin lainkaan (almost not at all) · fi tuskin (almost not at all) · be ле́дзьве (by a small margin) · fi hädin tuskin (almost not at all) · ru едва́ (almost not at all) · sc appenas (by a small margin) · eo apenaŭ (almost not at all) · es aínas (by a small margin) · fi nipin napin (by a small margin) · sh је̏два (by a small margin) · ru е́ле (almost not at all) · tr zar zor (almost not at all) · mk само (by a small margin) · ru то́лько (by a small margin) · gd air èiginn (by a small margin) · hu nemigen (almost not at all) · sk ledva (by a small margin)