barely

From Middle English baarly, bareliche, barely, barly, from Old English bærlīċe, equivalent to bare +‎ -ly. Compare Danish bare (“only, just”), Norwegian bare (“only, just”).

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈbɛə(ɹ).li/

  • Audio (Southern England):

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• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈbɛɹ.li/

• Audio (US):

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• Rhymes: -ɛə(ɹ)li
• Hyphenation: bare‧ly

barely (not comparable)

1. (degree) By a small margin.

   I barely completed my homework, however, I got a score of 5 for it.

   • 1748, [David Hume], Philosophical Essays Concerning Human Understanding, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, part VIII:

     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!’

   • 1961 November, H. G. Ellison, P. G. Barlow, “Journey through France: Part One”, in Trains Illustrated, page 670:

     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.

2. (degree) Almost not at all.

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

   Yes, it is barely visible.

   • 2011 October 23, Phil McNulty, “Man Utd 1 - 6 Man City”, in BBC Sport‎^[1]:

     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.

3. (archaic) Merely.
   • 1661, Robert Boyle, The Sceptical Chymist, page 29:

     Now that fire do's not alwayes barely separate the Elementary parts, but sometimes at least alter also the Ingredients of Bodies […]

4. (rare) Openly, clearly, plainly.
   • 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:

     Firſt here is the Reſurrection of our Saviour barely and poſitively affirmed, whom God hath raiſed up.

   • 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:

     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.

   • 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:

     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.

   • 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:

     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.

   • 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:

     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.

It is grammatically a negative word. It therefore collocates with ever rather than never.

• Compare

You can barely ever find used items on eBay.

with

You can almost never find used items on eBay.

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

• Barley, Braley, barley, bearly, bleary