Meaning & Definition of Barely in English
English⟶
Barely
/bɛrli/
adverb
1. Only a very short time before
- "They could barely hear the speaker"
- "We hardly knew them"
- "Just missed being hit"
- "Had scarcely rung the bell when the door flew open"
- "Would have scarce arrived before she would have found some excuse to leave"- w.b.yeats
synonym:
- barely,
- hardly,
- just,
- scarcely,
- scarce
2. In a sparse or scanty way
- "A barely furnished room"
synonym:
- scantily,
- barely
Examples of using
Tom could barely hide his smile.
Tom could barely conceal his excitement.
You've barely said a word all night.