Barely
Barely adverb - By a very small margin.
Next to
Next to adverb - Very close to but not completely.
Usage example: bought it for next to nothing
Both terms in one sentence
- Next to that, the Stun Halberd used by members of the Crossbell Guardian Force (including Randy) barely rates a mention.
Source: Video Game / Zero no Kiseki - The last shot is of her floating in the fluid, seeing the two parts of the MacGuffin floating and just barely missing combining right next to her.
Source: Necro Non Sequitur -
The most notable of these are the Lombaxes, a race of badass gearheads who can barely sit next to a piece of machinery or weaponry for five minutes without trying to modify it in some way.
Source: Planet of Hats
Cite this Source
Next to and Barely. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/barely/next_to
Barely & Next to. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/barely/next_to>.
Next to or Barely. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/barely/next_to.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "barely" and "next to" have occurred on timeline