Barely
Barely adverb - By a very small margin.
Usage example: we barely made it to the church on time
Marginally and barely are semantically related. In some cases you can use "Marginally" instead an adverb "Barely".
Marginally
Marginally adverb - By a very small margin.
Usage example: the team lost another game, but at least they performed marginally better this time out
Barely and marginally are semantically related. You can use "Barely" instead an adverb "Marginally".
Mutual synonyms
Both words in one sentence
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Vocal Evolution: To put it bluntly, Fabian could barely carry a tune in his prime, but later recordings did show that he got marginally better.
Source: Music / Fabian -
This can potentially lead to a highly-trained "super soldier" that's only marginally competent with a pistol, but barely understands how rifles, explosives, and even knives are used.
Source: You Have Researched Breathing
Cite this Source
Marginally and Barely. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 29, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/barely/marginally
Barely & Marginally. N.p., 2016. Web. 29 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/barely/marginally>.
Marginally or Barely. 2016. Accessed July 29, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/barely/marginally.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "barely" and "marginally" have occurred on timeline