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Slightly vs Barely - What's the difference?

slightly | barely |

As adverbs the difference between slightly and barely

is that slightly is slenderly; delicately while barely is by a small margin.

slightly

English

Adverb

(en adverb)
  • Slenderly; delicately.
    • He was slightly built, but tall.
  • To a small extent or degree.
    • He weighed slightly less than his wife who was a foot shorter.

    Synonyms

    * (to a small extent or degree) a little, marginally, somewhat

    Antonyms

    * (to a small extent or degree) quite, very

    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