Barely
Barely adverb - By a very small margin.
Usage example: we barely made it to the church on time
Hardly is a synonym for barely in quantity topic. In some cases you can use "Hardly" instead the word "Barely" as an adverb or an adjective, when it comes to topics like frequency, just, near, not quite. popular alternative
Hardly
Hardly adverb - By a very small margin.
Usage example: we were hardly able to make it back to camp before darkness set in
Barely is a synonym for hardly in scarcely topic. You can use "Barely" instead the word "Hardly" as an adverb or an adjective, if it concerns topics such as quantity, just, near, only just. popular alternative
Nearby Word: hard
Mutual synonyms
Both words in one sentence
- You're not particularly smart, can hardly smell, can barely see, and you're not even vaguely physically or spiritually imposing.
-
You can hardly see anything and straying from the barely-lit path is certain death.
Source: Video Game / SOMA -
Theodorakis, who barely appear and, outside one Backstory conversation, have hardly any lines.
Source: Literature / The Westing Game
Cite this Source
Hardly and Barely. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 15, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/barely/hardly
Barely & Hardly. N.p., 2016. Web. 15 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/barely/hardly>.
Hardly or Barely. 2016. Accessed August 15, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/barely/hardly.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "barely" and "hardly" have occurred on timeline