barely
[adverb]
Synonyms: only just, almost, at a push, by the skin of one's teeth, hardly, just, scarcely

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Contrasted words: amply, adequately, enough, sufficiently

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

bare‧ly /ˈbeəli $ ˈberli/ adverb

1. only with great difficulty or effort Synonym : only just:
She was very old and barely able to walk.
Mary had barely enough money to live on.
barely audible/perceptible/visible/discernible etc
His voice was barely audible.
She could barely understand English.

2. almost not Synonym : hardly:
She was barely aware of his presence.
Joe and his brother are barely on speaking terms.

3. used to emphasize that something happens immediately after a previous action Synonym : only just British English:
Graham had barely finished his coffee when Henry returned.

4. used before amounts or numbers to emphasize that they are surprisingly small Synonym : only:
Nowadays, the village has barely 100 inhabitants.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

barely
adverb
BAD: Although I am a member of the club, I barely go there.
GOOD: Although I am a member of the club, I rarely go there.

Usage Note:
barely = almost not; only just: 'His handwriting is barely legible.' (= you can only just read it) 'The fog was so bad that we barely made it to the motel.'
rarely/seldom/hardly ever = almost never: 'He rarely makes any serious mistakes.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲