barely

Everyday

1. Only just; almost not (I barely caught the bus). tree →
2. Hardly at all; very little (She barely ate). tree →
3. Only a very short time before (We had barely sat down when the phone rang). tree →

In the lessons

In maths and everyday life it tells you an amount is just enough or just over a limit: «barely 10» means only about 10, possibly a little less or exactly. In stories it shows a narrow escape: «barely escaped». Phrases: barely enough, barely noticed, barely awake.

Examples

• I barely finished the test in time. tree →
• There was barely enough cake for everyone. tree →
• He could barely see through the fog. tree →
• We barely knew each other then. tree →
• The puppy was barely a week old. tree →
• She barely passed, with 50 out of 100. tree →
• I'd barely got home when it started to rain. tree →
• They made their rush, and I barely escaped from them. tree →

Note

Barely is negative in meaning, so do not add «not»: say «I could barely hear», not «I couldn't barely hear». Not related to «bare» meaning naked in sense, though same root. In word problems, «barely more than 20» means just over 20.