Word Games Pro Dictionary

barely

adverb

only a very short time before

Quick reference

Word Facts

Word length
6
Starts with
B
Ends with
Y
Contains
AR
Scrabble score
11
Database source
OEWN 2025 Core

How it sounds

Pronunciation

ˈbɛə(ɹ).li

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Audio Pronunciation

Audio pronunciation is unavailable for this word.

Meaning

Definitions

adverb

  1. only a very short time before

    “we hardly knew them”

adverb

  1. by a little

    “I only just caught the bus”

adverb

  1. almost not

    “he hardly ever goes fishing”

In context

Example Sentences

we hardly knew them
had scarcely rung the bell when the door flew open
{'source': 'W.B.Yeats', 'text': 'would have scarce arrived before she would have found some excuse to leave'}
I only just caught the bus
he finished the marathon in just under 3 hours
it was barely 5 a.m.
the network has barely 5 percent of viewers
the batter just missed being hit
he hardly ever goes fishing
he was scarce sixteen years old
they scarcely ever used the emergency generator
I can hardly hear what she is saying
she barely seemed to notice him

Similar words

Synonyms

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