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Barely vs Faintly - What's the difference?

barely | faintly |

As adverbs the difference between barely and faintly

is that barely is (degree) by a small margin while faintly is in a faint manner; very quietly or lightly.

barely

English

Adverb

(-)
  • (degree) By a small margin.
  • * 1748 , , Oxford University Press (1973), section 8:
    • It becomes, therefore, no inconsiderable part of science barely to know the different operations of mind,
  • * 1925 , Walter Anthony and Tom Reed (titles), Rupert Julian (director), The Phantom of the Opera , silent movie
    • ‘It is barely possible you may hear of a ghost, a Phantom of the Opera!’
  • (degree) Almost not at all.
    • The plane is so far away now I can barely see it.
    Yes, it is barely visible.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2011
    • , date=October 23 , author=Phil McNulty , title=Man Utd 1 - 6 Man City , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=In contrast to what was to come, City were barely allowed any time to settle on the ball in the opening exchanges, with Ashley Young prominent and drawing heavy fouls from Micah Richards and James Milner.}}
  • (archaic) merely.
  • * 1661 , , page 29,
    • Now that fire do's not alwayes barely separate the Elementary parts, but sometimes at least alter also the Ingredients of Bodies

    Usage notes

    It is grammatically a negative word. It therefore collocates with ever rather than never. * Compare You can find barely ever used items on eBay.'' with ''You can almost never find used items on eBay.

    Synonyms

    * (degree) hardly, scarcely * hardly, just, only just, scarcely

    Anagrams

    * English degree adverbs

    faintly

    English

    Adverb

    (head)
  • In a faint manner; very quietly or lightly.
  • *
  • *:So this was my future home, I thought!Backed by towering hills, the but faintly discernible purple line of the French boundary off to the southwest, a sky of palest Gobelin flecked with fat, fleecy little clouds, it in truth looked a dear little city; the city of one's dreams.