Barely
Barely adverb - By a very small margin.
Virtually
Virtually adverb - Very close to but not completely.
Usage example: fell in love with a man who was virtually penniless
Both words in one sentence
- By this time they were so exhausted from heat and dehydration that they could barely fight, at which point the Seljuk army surrounded them and annihilated virtually the entire force.
Source: Curb Stomp Battle / Real Life - Jan Valentine in particular is virtually identical to his original incarnation — you could probably switch out his scenes with the ones in the actual dub and barely notice.
Source: Redundant Parody - Now, any ship that manages to survive 3 years is barely going to hold together, as quality control is virtually nonexistent.
Source: Older Is Better
Cite this Source
Virtually and Barely. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 13, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/barely/virtually
Barely & Virtually. N.p., 2016. Web. 13 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/barely/virtually>.
Virtually or Barely. 2016. Accessed August 13, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/barely/virtually.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "barely" and "virtually" have occurred on timeline